New to AIHA, dog in trouble – Page 6 – Second Chance AIHA Dogs

Keymaster

Vally,
I think it would be safe to set aside cautions that apply to giving meds to humans, canines are different enough. This schedule looks pretty good to me.

Using some of these drugs together is a pretty standard protocol at most veterinary clinics. Dr. Dodds’ literature notes successfully utilizing both prednisone and cyclosporine in a dog during the same treatment period. And because of how they need to be taken, one with food, the other without, pretty much excludes them being in the stomach at the same time.

The most important consideration is making sure that prednisone is given with food to try to avoid ulcers. And second would be to attempt to protect the stomach at all times in case it does happen. I used an acid preventer 1 hour before meals in addition to the sucralfate on the overnight fast. This was critical because I was trying to prevent other secondary illnesses that would have reduced Chance’s ability to survive. I remind myself sometimes about the little dog on vetnet whose stomach hurt so bad from ulcers that she ate a whole bunch of socks. She lost her life in surgery when the vet was trying to remove those socks. That really hit me hard and I will not forget that.

Cyclosporine, a fungus, really needs a special environment to be absorbed properly and that is an empty stomach.

Sucralfate is really just a mucous goop that by its very nature coats the mucosa of the stomach as a protective barrier. It’s OTC cousin slippery elm behaves exactly the same way. Nothing is going to get past it!

I had a rough time with Chance’s med schedule. In addition to not making any red blood cells he was also not making white blood cells either (Expect he was making those evil T-cell lymphocytes.)

Because he was at great risk of opportunistic infections all the time he had to be on antibiotics constantly. So I had to try to fit those into his schedule as well. And then there was the Soloxine, can only be given without food.

Mark works days and I work nights. If it weren’t for him putting in his 100% effort and helping dose Chance, this would not have worked. Even then, I had to give up a ton of sleep to make sure he got his meds at the right time and to make sure he got out to pee all the time. I often leave Mark’s contribution out but I can tell you, despite the fact he didn’t understand much of what I was doing, he never once questioned me and stayed with the plan. Chance survived because he worked so hard. When I would get home at 1am, Mark was always asleep on the couch next to Chance.

I too slept for months on the couch and would wake up three times during my “night” to give him meds. I gave them “breakfast” at 12 noon so, from when Mark left at 7am until 12am, there were 5 hours to dose meds. Mark started with the Soloxine at around 5-6 am. I would get up three times between 7 and 12 to give him his Atopica, antibiotic and later his pepcid. Before I left for work he would get supplements and then Mark started giving more meds the second he walked in the door at 6pm. We kept a meds chart in the kitchen, it was the only way to stay sane.

It’s a very hard job. Owners provide the most important part, the nursing care.
my best
patrice

Details