Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia

Beckster258

This is my first time to this site. I recently lost my dog to AIHA and am devastated. She was only 4. Has anyone else had experiences with this?

alundy

No I haven't but I'm really sorry for your loss. That must have been so hard....

Beckster258

Thanks for your post, Alundy.

3dogsplus

I am sorry for your loss - I know it is difficult.
I have seen many dogs with immune mediated hemolytic anemia and it can be a truely devistating disease. Unfortunately, it is most common in middle aged (yes, 4 years old is middle aged) female dogs. Even with very aggressive therapy to try and stop the destruction of the red cells, the survival rate is only 50%. I have seen dogs hospitalized and treated for weeks only to succumb to the disease. In most cases the causing factor is not discovered. It is thought that something the dog came in contact with (medication, bacterial or viral infection, vaccinations) caused the dog's immune system to no longer recognize it's red cells as it's own so starts destroying them.

Beckster258

Thanks for your reply, 3dogsplus! You certainly do know alot about it. How did you learn all this? My dog was a little short haired jack russell named Lucy. You're right, the vet doens't know what caused it and it hit her within a day. Her PCV count was down to 8 (yes, in 24 hours....) and a normal dog should be between 35 and 60. They did present me with the option of multiple blood transfusions and lots of medications probably for the rest of her life, but they said her chances were only about 25%. I didn't want to give up on her, but I also didn't want her suffering, weak in a hospital somewhere for weeks wondering where I was. Especially if she did pass a blood clot and die, I didn't want her to be there without me in a strange place when that happened, so I made the decision to put her down. At first I didn't know if it was the right decision, but now, 7 weeks later, think I did the right thing.

alundy

I am sure you did the right thing. There is a little selfish part of us that wants to do 'whatever it takes' to prolong a dog's life beyond what is reasonable, but we have to ask if it really benefits the dog at all in the end. It's good Lucy did not have to suffer.



Do you have any thoughts of getting a new puppy?

Beckster258

You're exactly right. This was the first time I've ever had to make that decision, and I had to force myself to NOT think about me, and think about Lucy instead.

Yes, I'm starting to want another one. I've NEVER not had a dog. I'd take another Jack Russell in a minute. It is best for me to wait until the spring, though, because this is my busy season at work and I wouldn't be able to be home enough, in my opinion, until after it is over. My fiance is OK with me getting another one, I just want to have the time I need to devot to a puppy. The spring is just SO FAR AWAY!!! I'm just not sure if I want another one to make me feel better, or if I want another one to have another one, ya know? I can't believe what a hard time I'm still having. I know it has only been 7 weeks, but honestly, it feels like 7 MONTHS. I'm tired of being sad......any suggestions?

mrrobertG

Hello, My name is Robert Grizzle and I just lost my baby......Melly...my female Airedale Puppy of 4 1/2 months and I am so devastated.....heartbroken and yes very angry! I just spoke to Jay Atwood and he advised me to send you an email explaining the events that led to my Puppy's death. When I got Melly, she was 8 weeks old and I took her to my vet of some 7 years and she then received her 8 weeks shots on 11/16/09...the Polyvalent multivalent Distemper,Hepatitis,Parvovirus,Parainfluenza,Coron avirus and had a fecal exam. The next set of shots on 12/5/09 were the same boosters in addition to the inhaled vaccine Bordetella...the vet also administered a heart worm pill the same day. The next set of shots were given on 12/28/09 and were the same 5 boosters. I was advised to come back on 1/16/10 for the final shots which were the same 5 vaccines in addition to the Rabies Vaccine. On 1/28/10 we noticed that Melly slept allot that day and didn't have allot of energy, the next day she also slept allot and seemed to be limping and had some eye mucus, we also noticed she had loose stools and some mucus with a small amount of blood in the stool....this was Friday evening and our regular vet was closed so we took her to the emergency Vet and they examined her and did blood work.....the Vet said the blood was fine but she was running about a 1 degree fever an prescribed her Metronidazole for the stomach and we went home. Melly spent the night in bed with me that night instead of her crate beside my bed and was very lethargic.....in the morning she seemed to be limping more and with more fever (1/30/09) and her gums were very pale.... this is Saturday...well we took her to our regular vet and she was running a 105.2 fever and the vet sais we would need to leave her and immediately put her on IV fluids and Penicillin....we left her all day and around 8:00pm that night our vet said we could come and take her home that her fever was down to normal and that she was hydrated. When we got home she obviously didn't feel very good and seemed to not run but to "Hop" she was in distress in her joints (or possibly this was caused from the stomach....virus?) her stools improved some but the next morning (Sunday) we took her back to the vet (the vet met us at her office) and took her temperature and it was normal and decided against more IV fluids so again we took her home. Melly still didn't seem to feel good and act a normal puppy but she did have a good appetite (this is still Sunday 1/31/10) and was still not running....she again seemed to be stiff and to Hop. The next day 2/1/10 Monday I took her back to the vet and she was running a 1 degree temperature and the Vet thought the she may have Panostenosis (puppy limp from long bone growth issues) and put her on Cephalexin 250mg times 2 a day.....I took her home and she seemed to be getting a little better and we kept her on the Cephalexin. The following week she seemed to sleep allot and I did research on HOD AND Pano and found that both diseases' were for the most part self-limiting and sometimes could take a couple of weeks to get over (I didn't know any better than to take my vets diagnosis) I kept a close eye on her during the week and she seemed to feel some better and always had a great appetite. Remembering , back now the problems with the stools and mucus and small amout of blood in the stool seem to be symptoms of both Parvo and Distemper? (along with the fever) Melly was also exibiting trembling limbs (signs of nerve problems?) and possibly symptoms of HOD? On Monday 2/8/10 Melly just wasn't her self....and I noticed that her gums were very pale....we immediately took her back to the vet and the vet pulled blood and her RBC was down to 15-16 and after she looked at her blood under the microscope she advised us that Melly had Hemolytic Anemia and that her Red blood cells we autoagluttating (clumping together).....we rushed her to Georgia Veterinary Specialists where they confirmed she had Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia. Today 1/14/10 Monday after 7 days of hospitalization and some $5500.00....2 blood transfusions prednisone and cyclosporine Melly is dead from Vaccine Mediated Hemolytic Anemia.................... I now do feel this could and should have been avoided! I am so Hurt......so angry.....after some 300-400 hours of doing research......I'm not so sure that the vaccines we give our dogs are not doing more harm......than good.....I found that these vaccines actually are credited with causing the very disease we vaccinate against as well as many hereditary diseases where the vaccines can actually do damage genetically! If Melly's story and our pain can help at least 1 person....then Melly didn't die in vain........my baby is gone and the pain is more than I can bear! Please, Please do as much research as you can before you let any vet put vaccines in your dog.....and Never Ever let a Vet give Multivalent multiple vaccines with the Rabies Vaccine.....it may very well destroy the dogs immune system resulting in death. It is now my opinion that Vets must relook at their Vaccination Protocols and always advise the pet owners of the risk associated with injecting modified live vaccines as well as killed Rabies Vaccines into the dog or pet. Purdue University did clinical studies showing evidence that canine vaccines can cause a wide range of diseases including Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia. If you do vaccinate your dog....Please do as much research as possible 1st and also do research for alternatives..... such as consulting a Homeopathic Vet. I wish I had have done more research about vaccinations....... Instead of allowing my vet to decide.... using the one size fits all protocol. I would still have Melly!
Thank You,
Robert Grizzle
1150 Old Forge Dr
Roswell Ga 30076
ph# 770-617-6507
Fax# 770-645-6079

PS: Please feel free to use my name, address and phone#