Ashki – new thread

[admin]

Tamara
Unbelievable. Thank goodness Ashki is OK now, but I am also suspicious that his drop in PCV was something to do with the drug. This makes me really cross actually because it is extremely unlikely that a safe alternative antibiotic doesn’t exist. It was one of the things I found out fairly early on on Worzel’s diagnosis from my specialist, so I have wrongly assumed every specialist would know this.

Penicillin was found to cause antibodies in the 1950’s as it used to be added to prevent contamination when blood crossmatching was done by sampling, so this has been known for a lot of years! Other antibiotics do this too. I think it would be good to have some information on here – I will do that over the next few days. Our glossary will expand forever as we come across things people will find useful!

Here is more information for you & Hope to tide us over
http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/hematology_and_oncology/anemias_caused_by_hemolysis/autoimmune_hemolytic_anemia.html
I have found this interesting human study http://pathology.ucla.edu/workfiles/Education/Transfusion%20Medicine/9-9-DIHAreviewGarratty-39113603.pdf

Loads of love to you & Ashki
Sheena & the boys xxx

[Tamara]

Thank you so much Sheena for the information. I am very very upset and thinking carefully about what I want to do about this. Right now I am thinking I will at least make a complaint with the owner of the practice.
love to you and the boys —
tamara and ashki xoxox

[Tamara]

The thing that really scares me and upsets me is has Ashki’s recovery been hampered by this lack of knowledge on the original vets part? And given that he complained to me about being “second-guessed,” also ego in addition to lack of knowledge? I am really wishing I had made that appointment for a second opinion a long time ago.

[admin]

Tamara
I’m so glad you changed vets – that was a great move for Ashki. He is doing so much better now with someone who really cares & listens. This proves that good vets are out there, but are sometimes harder to find when you need specialist help. The previous vets? Do what you think is right – and do it for other owners too.
Love & support, Sheena xxx

[Tamara]

Thank you Sheena. I so appreciate your support.

We go tomorrow for an appointment to check PCV and do a CBC — we’re doing CBC every two weeks now. It was just a nurse appointment, but I called today and asked to see the doctor as I’m concerned that Ashki’s urine seems more foamy which can indicate that he is dumping more protein. Also, his skin has gotten very flakey, could this be a side effect from the meds?

Yesterday Ashki seemed a little less energetic earlier in the day so of course I was checking his gums every hour. They are still very nice and pink, thank goodness! He perked up quite a bit later in the day.

Thinking of you all and sending you and the four-leggeds much love and many hugs and gentle pets and scritchies.

tamara and ashki xoxoxo

[Vally]

Tamara, good luck on the tests tomorrow.

Vally & Bingo

[admin]

Hi Tamara
Wishing you loads of luck. Yes, I think we’ve all seen our dogs look like moth-eaten raggedy things with dry skin & lumps & bumps. The important thing is to make sure they don’t get an infection. I am a great believer in the old methods – this is my personal opinion – of using chlorhexadine or betadine (never both together as they counteract each other) or even good old peroxide. Chlorhexadine kills off bacteria, fungi & pretty much all viruses & has a long action (up to 12 hours on skin). It does dry the skin out though. These drugs compromise their immune systems & they are prone to catching anything going. If an infection appears, you have to get it treated with antibiotics or anti-fungals because it can spread otherwise. So back to that old discussion! Again – my personal opinion – I treated anything on Worzel’s skin that looked potentially prone to infection with chlorhexadine 3 times a day. I am a control freak though – prevention is better than cure? He already had had an infected leg wound for a long time & I didn’t want his biopsy wounds and baldy bits to go the same way. NEVER use zinc oxide – zinc is poisonous (toxic) & is a cause of AIHA – they can lick it & ingest it, so no way.

Glad the gums are pinky! We love pink. I hope his feeling lethargic will pass – good days & bad days are a fact of life with this disease & a bad day will make you worry – I did. Then he would perk up again!

I bought some human wee testing strips (they work just the same for dogs according to my vets) from the chemist then amused passers-by by running around the garden with a pot to collect his pee in. He always had foamy wee (protein ++) until after we dropped the pred completely. I always told the vets & they noted the results. It saved them putting that horrible tube directly into his bladder at the surgery, which used to worry me as it has a potential for infection. At the beginning dark wee, high bilirubin too, but that settled down. Again, I am a control freak & checked his wee every day for a while!

Let us know how he’s doing & those all important results
Love & cuddles to you all, Sheena & the boys xxx

[Tamara]

Ashki’s PCV has dropped to 25. I’m really freaked out about it and upset. I love this vet though, we talked for a very long time about many different options and both agreed that we need to do some research. I”ll have results of CBC tomorrow or Fri. I need to make Ashki lunch right now but will write more later.

tamara