Camilla, AIHA-dog from Italy

[Vally]

“What Big Teeth You Have” said little Red Riding Hood.

She’s looks absolutely wonderful. Bingo thinks her boyfriend is too tall :)

Vally & Shorty
xxx

[Brigitte]

Hi Eleonora!
How wonderful to see Camilla happy playing with her friend! these moments are so precious. Camilla being happy and playing will contribute more than you can think to getting back to her normal, wonderful self. I think it is just like with us, we can heal faster when we are happy, in no pain and surrounded by friends.
Best wishes,
Brigitte

[eleonora]

:D thanks girls! here in Lucca where we live every october/november there is a big international exposition called “Lucca comics and games” with the participation of people from all over europe often dressed up as characters from cartoons, comics , characters of famous sagas such star wars or children’s stories (the “cosplayers”). there is also a competition for the best costumes. I always thought of participating with my family clothes by the characters of the Wizard of Oz(my daughter dressed as Dorothy, me as the Scarecrows, my husband as the Tin Man and Camilla as the Cowardly Lion ) but, Vally, you know that even Red Riding Hood would be a good idea ….!!!!!!!!

[eleonora]

Hi girls! camilla last Friday went to visit to the hematologist. she is stable, in the lower limits of normal range. He told us to try to also suspend azathioprine (throughout February she took 1/4 tablet every other day) and in a month we will return back to control her (but in about 15 days I will take her from our local vet for a control blood count. i can’t wait 1 month!!!!!). all blood values were going well, this time she only had a little bit high cholesterol. the hematologist suspects (as you have said for a long time!) that she may have an underactive thyroid so next time we’ll also tests for thyroid (’till today the hematologist and our vet didn’t want to do it because of immune suppressing drugs which they say they would distort the results). camilla every way continues to be pretty good, she has returned to her normal weight (34 kg) she plays and she is more responsive. as soon as the sun comes back I’ll take her to swim (I found another pool for dogs even closer to my home and it is of thermal water!!!! ahahaah i’ll bring camilla at the spa! The hematologist told me that often the dogs that had episodes of hemolytic anemia never fully return to the normal range but remain a bit at the lower limits of the normal range. What do you think? There is also to say that I’ve never done a CBC to camilla before she became ill so i don’t know what were her normal values. however, last friday the hematologist seemed quite satisfied with the analysis of camilla.He told me that she is coming out well from illness. let’s hope!

[eleonora]

Hi girls! last Friday camilla went to the hematologist for her control: she is stable at the lower limits of the normal range. the hematologist told us to try to also suspend azathioprine (for the entire month of February, she took 1/4 tablet every other day) and see how it goes. the next check is in a month, but in 15 days I’ll take camilla from our vet for a check blood count (I can not wait for a month !!!!). camilla is still pretty good, she plays, sometimes runs , she jumps alone inside my car that is lower than my husband’s car (to enter in his car she still needs help). in general she is quite reactive. the hematologist told me that often the dogs who have had episodes of hemolytic anemia never return fully within the normal range but settle in the low range of the limits. what do you think? it must be said that before she felt ill I never did a blood count to camilla so i don’t know what were her normal values. however the hematologist was quite satisfied with her analysis, he told me that she is coming out well from the disease. the only thing she had was altered cholesterol. for this reason the hematologist suggested (like you were saying for some time) that she may have a hypothyroidism then the next check we’ll also analyzes thyroid (until now neither he nor our vet wanted to do it because they say the drugs immuno suppressants would distort the result).when the sun will return (here it’s raining a lot!!!!) I will bring Camilla to swim. I found another pool for dogs closest to my house and it’s of thermal water! so I bring Camilla to the spa ehehehe! Look, is this: https://www.facebook.com/Piscinatermalecani-439408862824495/?fref=ts
Obviously when we go there I’ll post the photos! have a nice day!

[eleonora]

P.S. Girls I have a question for you: but your dogs have a medal or something on them that says something like: “I am affected by IMHA if you find me immediately contact my masters…. or Dr. ……”
since Camilla was sick I fear even more than before to lose her and that she ends up in the hands of people who do not notice if she is ill…

[Brigitte]

Hello Eleonora,
yes you are right, the thyroid values of Camilla will be influenced by the steroids she is taking. However, if she is low, she is still low, no matter what and will benefit from a thyroid supplement. Many dogs get “stuck” in the low normal values and when you add the thyroxine they make a big jump. I would not hesitate to give it to her, there is really nothing (I know of) that would speak against it.
I totally understand that you can not wait for a whole month between checks. Sometimes it is worth doing a check for peace of mind. Once Camilla is in the normal range for a bit longer and doing fine clinically you will relax and not need tests so often. But I can tell you already that the worry will never really go away, you will just be more aware of changes in her and relax a bit. We are all members of a very special club:)
Best wishes,
Brigitte

[Sheena]

Hi Eleonora

I couldn’t agree with Brigitte more! The hypothyroidism needs checking & Camilla’s breed is prone to it too. I also think normal PCV is normal – we LOVE normal & without a figure before this happened, you can’t do much else. But there is also are they acting the same as before the disease? If so great, if not maybe something such as hypothyroidism needs attention. What I would not accept is a vet saying you should accept too low a PCV say in the low 30s. That is not true & there must be a problem still. So all round, Camilla is doing GREAT! I couldn’t wait a month for a recheck either. I would also give her thyroxine regardless. No argument in my mind.

For some reason, I didn’t get your message on the fancy dress – I think that would be brilliant fun & we look forward to the pictures later on.

I love your idea of a tag, label or something to alert people to our “special IMHA/AIHA dogs” & emergency details. Perhaps we should have something like that to give out with a donation on here with any small profits going to this website? That is up to our site owner, but I for one think it would be a great thing to do, and may spread awareness to other owners too. I KNEW you were a clever lady!

I was thinking of you & Brigitte at the weekend – we met up with some Swiss friends who speak German, French & Italian. They don’t speak English & we don’t speak German or Italian! Our French friends said it was so funny listening to us all talking away in French with totally different accents, but still having good fun!

Love Sheena & the boys xxxxx