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Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - Update on Zoe
| It has been two weeks since Zoe's last check up and Zoe has been doing great, she has gained 1/2 a lb and now weighs 1.8 lbs. She is now almost 14 weeks old. I took her to the vet today and her RBC count is up from 16 at the last vist to 26 now. Although this was great news, the doctor also said that her white blood cell count and platelet count are still extremely low. He thinks that there is still a big problem with her and we will probably need to get the bone marrow aspiration done at some point. I asked him if the prednisone she is getting could be keeping her white blood cell count and platelet count low. He said it was a possibility but that other dogs he has treated with prednisone IHIA did not such a suppressed white cell count as the RBC has risen so well. He said we will need to watch for any signs on internal bleeding or bruising. Any thoughts out there? I was feeling so excited about her progress, but now we are down in the dumps again. I guess this is the rollercoaster ride people have spoken about..... Peggy |
| Peggy North Carolina |
| Peggy - We did have problems with the IMHA drugs supressing the immune system "too much". It first appeared as a low white count on the CBC. I'm sure you are aware, but keep a close eye on it - as it can make Zoe more prone to serious infections that are difficult for the body to fight under such circumstances. In our case, my dog is a senior and had been on high doses of pred and Imuran when this happened. He got into a critical situation (sepsis) and was pulled off the drugs "cold turkey" except for a maintainence dose of prednisone. After that, his body was able to produce WBCs and his counts returned to normal. Best of luck with Zoe - she's such a tiny, young thing to be fighting this but she is very lucky to have someone in her corner who isn't giving up! Bonnie |
| Bonnie Chicago |
| Peggy, Try to remember the good news too. I know it seems like one step forward and two steps back a lot of the time. Hopefully your Vet will find an answer soon. It just doesn't seem fair for such a wee, young dog to have to be going through this. Keeping you both in my thoughts snd prayers. Penny |
| Penny Lytle Creek Calif |
| Peggy, What a sweet little thing! You are both in our thoughts and prayers! Chris & Alex |
| Chris PA |
This thread was discussed between 14/02/2009 and 15/02/2009
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