Doberman with AIHA

[Linda]

Okay Karry – I’m going to say something here. We loose dogs because there are vets that don’t understand this disease, the think they do and they will not listen. We are not vets, but dog-gone it, we live with this disease daily.

As Sheena says, you have a good relationship with Stephano. Plead for them to listen to you. My dear friend here just lost her precious little girl – the vets would not listen, and she suffered for months and then died. I think she could have made it, but from the onset, the entire protocol was wrong.

Another point, my own Sadie. Her vet did everything right. But then, he weaned her too fast. Sheena, Vally, Brigitte, Patrice – everyone said, too fast, she’ll be in trouble. My vet would not listen. Since he had done everything right in the beginning and through getting her stable, I listened to him. Big wrong. I feel that guilt every day I look at her. And she has relapsed three times since. I am not being a matter here, Sadie will make it. But had I listened and had I stood my ground with her vet, I truly think she would have stsyed in remission if we would have gone SLOW in the reductions.

Plead, cry, beg – they need to listen. If they don’t want to communicate with Dr. Dodds, you be the in-between. But this is part of the package they need to hear. Without this group and Dr. Dodds, Sadie would be dead.

You and your husband are incredible fur parents. And your vet and the clinic obviously care so much for Louis. Be nice, but be firm. You are paying for all this, it’s not free – just ask that they listen and please, please, please keep an open mind.

We have been dealing with this disease and only this disease for a very long time. He needs TWO immune suppressants – not one. He needs tummy protection (great, he’s now on that), he needs liver protection and anti clotting medication (if deemed). Tytoid meds will help red blood cell productition.

Sadie: onset and three relapses. Yep, I listen to this forum and now, so does Sadie’s vet. Sadie’s thyroid is fine, but she still gets a very low dose ThyroTab twice a day.

So, a tear or two may help. 😊

Sending oodles of love,

Linda and Sadie

[admin]

Hi there – so sorry to hear how difficult it has all been. I did manage to persuade my vet to try Dr Dodds protocol, and that is in Shropshire. So do keep going, and try to persuade them that she has a great deal of expertise and has helped save so many dogs from this disease. If they are still digging their toes in, try to get them to explain what their protocol is, and why they are following it….. get them to give you reasons. It’s no help to you if they refuse to consider anything else, with no reason behind it – and it’s no help to Louis. Please keep us informed. Vets can be like doctors….. blinkered.
Hope to hear that he is improving

Lynda

[jill]

HI Karyn, im so sorry you are having trouble with the vets, i find it very hard to put my foot down to,and it sounds like you have done such a great job, its your dog and if you want someone to talk to your vet on your behalf im sure they should let you!shame they wont speack to Sheen or Dr Dodds, Just you keep strong , i know its easy to say , hoping you will have Louis back home with you soon, love and huge hugs Jill & Snoopy.xxxxx

[Vally]

Hi Karyn, first of all you are NOT wasting our time. Absolutely. I hate that you’re going through this turmoil. I have no idea how I’d react – I’m very wimpy. It just seems so unfair that you’re dealing with Louis’ serious illness and have to worry about the vets.

Another idea, if the issue is that they’re worried about being sued, could you perhaps give a release of some sort to them, that if they agree to consult with Dr Dodds and use her protocols to treat this, you won’t hold them accountable?

I had written out a long post, but scrapped it. There’s no use whinging about the vets and the stupid processes any further. Fight as hard as you can Karyn to get Dr Dodd’s protocols in place. Thyroxine really truly has turned it around for so many of our dogs.

Sucralfate worked a treat on Bingo. Literally within a day his poos went from tarry black to normal.

If that does not work, I’m wondering if perhaps the Mycophenolate could be the problem. It can be very hard on the stomach.
https://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/AIHA_Terms/mycophenolate-mofetil/
That’s why the usual second drug of choice nowadays is cyclosporine. It has fewer side effects for most dogs.

Big big hugs Karyn (and hubby).
Vally & Bingo
xxx

[Karxlee]

Hi, thank you for your comments, the issue Louis has now is to do with his stomach, he,s always been on a 1/4 tablet of aspirin, he,s been on liver protection supplement, he’s always been on pred, he was on cyclosproine but they stopped that because is was causing issues with his liver, he’s on the other immune surpresseant being with M.
What is happening now is he’s not eating and drinking, because we think he has got ulcers or something going on with his insides, which I, m not surprised at considering the cocktail of toxic drugs he is taking.
I have asked Stefano over and over about the thyroid medication and he doesn’t believe (rightly or wrongly) he should have that because there is nothing wrong with his thyroid, so giving him more medication for something that is working properly he cannot see the benefits.
So when I’m sat there saying “Yes but this is what a leading specialist is saying g needs to happen” doesn’t go do too well. As much as Stefano is brilliant, the UK godlike syndrome takes over and they feel like we shouldnt be questionin the 7 years training they have had to become a vet. HE’S NEVER SAID THAT JUST TO BE CLEAR.
I know he has read Dr Dodds protocols because I sent them to him via email but he or in fact any vet will not follow them. If I could get my hands on the drugs without prescription I would bloody administor them myself!
Depending what happens over the next day or two, we feel he will say enough is enough and if you could all see Louis you would probably agree, I feel like I am giving in,and giving up but we need his stomach to recover and for him to put weight on, because it’s going to be that that kills him and not the AIHA at the rate.
We think they want to put a camaraderie down his throat to see what’s going on inside, but at the moment he is too weak and it would be a dangerous procedure, steafano is back from his converance on Monday, so you never know he may have discussed Louis as someone may have dealt with the same thing in the past.
I just feel like we have done everything we can, he have spent 10’s of thousands of pounds on trying to get the right treatment, trying to make our boy better, and it’s never been about the money, we’ve found it, we’ve gone into huge debit that will cripple us for years, but we did it because we thought we were following the right treatment and the right advise, I don’t feel like that now I feel we have put him through so much pain and poisoned his body all because we are too selfish to face the future without him.
You can probably tell i’m not in a good place at the moment and my own health is suffering, I suffer from IIH and have had a huge flare up, if you don’t know what it is just imagine your head feels as though it’s been crushed by a vice, a headache unlike anything you’ve ever felt before, where every part of your head hurts and the pressure is unbearable, and it’s a pain no-one can see.
Imagine a world in permanent soft focus, where things come in twos, where things disappear momentarily, where you can’t tell how deep a step is, where bright light is a pain you can’t stand.
Imagine a world that sways around you, where you feel as though you’re in the middle of a storm on a cross channel ferry, feeling dizzy and sick – yet you’re standing still.
Imagine you’re so totally exhausted that your body doesn’t want to move and all you want to do is sleep, yet an incessant roaring in your ears keeps you awake.
Imagine feeling lost and fearful, confused in a place you used to know well.
Welcome to the world of IIH!
But this is nothing to how Louis must feel. 😟😢

[Vally]

Karyn, I feel like screaming. This treatment of Louis is the most frustrating I have ever come across and I’m so very sorry you’re going through this. I still just cannot fathom that you are not involved in the decision making as to what should be done to YOUR dog.

Has there been any improvement since he started the sucralfate? That worked fairly quickly with Bingo. Is there any further bleeding either in vomit or in poos? Have they given you any of this information? If Stefano is away, who are you actually dealing with now then? Another vet or is Stefano in contact?

I don’t see the need for the camera endoscopy. If there is an ulcer there, the sucralfate will take care of it.

Is it possible Louis won’t eat whilst in hospital? Bingo didn’t eat for 10 days whilst there. I tried taking him food and other than a few bites the first time, wouldn’t take food from me either. They ended up syringing food into him in the last days before he came home.

The other thing that I think could be going on is the Mycophenolate is causing gastro problems.

What was the problem with the liver and cyclosporine? Yes the liver values would be very high. All our dogs had very high liver enzymes at the outset. The drugs do this.

Oh Karyn, I just can’t believe this is all happening and I’m so very very sorry.

Vally
xxx

[Karxlee]

Hi Vally Louis has been on the mycophenolate for weeks now and it’s just in the past few days he has stopped eating, he is interested in food but just won’t eat. We are going to see him this afternoon to see if we can coax him into eating something.
There has to be something going on inside him, his PCV yesterday afternoon was –
18.5, we are going to ask for a full review of his meds because they must be causing conflicts somewhere.
I’ve taken my own drugs now so I fell I can take on the world, until the start to wear off lol.
Stefano is in contact all the time, his intern is looking after Louis at the moment, but she is in constant contact with him.
I’m just getting his food together and heading off.

[Vally]

Hope it’s a great visit Karyn and I’m crossing everything and saying some prayers that he’s feeling a bit better.

Vally
Xxx