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- Newly Diganosed AIHA in Min. Schnauzer
Hello Arianne & Carson
A big welcome – we are so glad you’ve found us too. Again, I’m so sorry you are dealing with this horrible disease – none of us knew anything about it when our pets were diagnosed, so it’s no wonder you are completely overwhelmed. Our lovely ladies have all given you some superb advice already – feel free to ask anything you like – we discuss all sorts of delightful things such as poo, pee & sick on here. The more information you give us the better, actually, so write as much as you want to.
Just to reiterate some very important points that we try to explain to everyone in the early stages:
1. Abnormal clotting is the biggest risk & it’s something I nag everyone rotten about – it is vital that your vet does a blood smear & has a look to see if Carson has that risk. Do not be afraid, please, as it just means an anti-clotting medication will be needed – this is very common – most dogs (but not all) need to take something to prevent clot formation. You can read more here:
https://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/AIHA_Terms/abnormal-clotting/
There is also something called a Coombs Test which can be done.
If you are unclear on anything in this article, just ask us to explain more fully.
2. The high temperature you mentioned – is Carson on antibiotics? Has he had a tick disease test such as Snap4DX? Does your vet suspect an infection? The cause of my Worzel’s bone marrow failure was a slow onset tick disease, coupled with a vaccination.
3. Another long acting immuno-suppressant should be added to Carson’s treatment – the other ladies have rightly mentioned cyclosporine (Atopica) – this is the usual drug of choice. Some vets use azathioprine, but there are more risks from side effects with that – also, smaller dogs don’t seem to tolerate it as well as the larger ones do from experiences on here. Basically, the prednisone is used as a first line immuno-suppressant to stop the initial crisis, whilst waiting for the longer acting drug to kick in & suppress the immune system which has gone a bit haywire. I would urge you get your vet to add cyclosporine as soon as possible.
4. As Vally rightly pointed out, transfusions should be avoided unless Carson’s PCV drops down to 15 “ish” (or below) – this is to make sure the body knows it needs to make new red blood cells. The body is very clever – it knows it needs to make more red cells as it is not getting enough oxygen around & will try hard to produce them, so then if you transfuse to over 25, it will think “Oh, I’m OK again now – I don’t need to make more cells”. Again, you can read about this here:
https://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/AIHA_Terms/transfusion/
5. I completely agree with Brigitte & everyone about the sucralfate – we have all found it to be excellent – it has the ability to heal ulceration & sooth those poor sore tummies.This is also important as you don’t want any added problems with Carson’s GI tract.
If you would like to send us any test results & notes from your vet, it would really help us to help you – anything you can get copies of, please. It is so important to eliminate the cause of the disease if it is an infection or something of that nature, otherwise you are letting those bugs run rife. It may well be this is allergy related or the cause is never found – the right treatment will get Carson through this horrible time. Many of us consult a wonderful lady called Dr Dodds on here – you can find her treatment protocol here – your vet will find this useful too:
http://drjeandoddspethealthresource.tumblr.com/post/119965239356/imha-treatment-dogs#.VZPXv_mqpBc
I see you are already noticing the side effects of the prednisone – it is a life saver, but as everyone has said, makes them hot, pant a lot & pee a lot too! This is “normal” – it’s awful when the weather is so hot for them. Worzel preferred to lie on the cold tiles & was pretty uncomfortable. I really feel for you going through this, Arianne.
On the eating front, I was desperate too – at one time, Worzel was eating nothing at all – awful – so we resorted to some really unhealthy Toulouse sausages – very stinky & smelly, but at least he ate a bit! Then, all of a sudden with the prednisone, he was really hungry again. It is worrying when they won’t eat, especially with all the drugs they need to take too. If you would like help with a drug chart, our wonderful Vally does a fantastic job for anyone who would like one.
I think I’ve said enough for now – hope I haven’t overloaded you with information! Please know we are all here to support & help you in any way we can. We’ve all been in the same boat on that rough sea.
Sending huge hugs to you & Carson across from France
Sheena, Worzel & Ollie xxxxx
Sorry folks – those links made the message go up the creek, so I’ve moved them here instead – you can still right click on them & open in a new tab:
Repeat
Before I go, here are 3 articles you can print (don’t worry about reading them too deeply yourself unless you really want to!) & take to your vet – they verify what we are saying about clotting risks, treatment & diagnosis methods:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15934255?dopt=Abstract
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21155892
Sheena
Update on Carsten:
Today, we went to the doctor for a PCV. Carsten’s RBC count was 24, up from 21 on Monday afternoon. This morning, he took all of his medications, but wasn’t interested much in eating. His doctor said I should probably be giving him the mirtazpine each day until his appetite comes back. I asked her about protecting his liver, and she recommended the z–drug (milk thistle stuff) that you guys recommended if I wanted to get it, but she said his liver enzymes weren’t elevated at all. She didn’t seem very concerned about it yet. He did have a little bit of loose stool this morning, and she said he may need to add an antibiotic for a few days to clean up his GI system from any bacteria that may be growing. She wanted me to keep her updated.
Last night, he cuddled me for the first time since Thursday! Win! His tail is wagging a little bit more, and he’s more alert. His still able to jump up and down onto the couch, the bed, and in and out of the car. Today, he even got on top of the sofa to do one of his favorite activities: looking out the front window to protect the house from those darned squirrels!
After the mirtazpine kicked in, he ate a full chicken breast. He’s drinking water really well and using the bathroom often. He’s still puny, but I know that is to be expected as he is still anemic. The doctor would like us to come back for a PCV on Monday morning. She wanted to go for a little longer time to see how he was doing, but of course, I will take him in (and check with you all) if there is anything unusual, concerning, or emergent.
Here’s my favorite story from today so far. We have a MPlanx cat named Kali as well. Kali is notorious for trying to steal Carsten’s food. I tried to persuade Carsten to eat some more chicken breast this evening and he was uninterested until Kali began to show interest in the food. So, I gave Kali a tiny bite of the chicken. Then Carsten wanted a bite of chicken. Kali wanted more. Carsten ate another piece of chicken. On and on it went until Kali wandered away. When Kali left, Carsten decided he was done, too. It was quite amusing.
Again, I thank you for your advice, thoughts, and prayers. I am going to upload a picture so that you can see my sweet boy.
All my best,
Arianne and Carsten
Hello Arianne!
I was so happy to read that Carsten is doing better. At this point an increase from 21 to 24 is such a positive sign. But what is even better is that Carsten is interested in food, even if it takes a cat, and acting more like himself. You have done a great job and you should be proud of what you have achieved! Your vet has done a great job as well. Even though she is not concerned yet, I think the liver enzymes will rise and the milk thistle is such a great thing to give them. When you say z-drug it is probably Zentonil? It is a good product to protect the liver but it takes up to 30 days to see results. That is why you should give it now even though the liver is still doing ok. Many of us have given their dogs Dr. Dodds liver sparing diet, maybe you want to give that a try?
http://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/nutrition-resources/
Instead of cod you can use chicken or turkey, always as lean as possible. I can’t wait to see a picture of Carsten! I am sure you saw all the pictures of the Giant Schnauzers on the site, they are Patrice’s, she is the creator of this website! In the picture gallery there is also a black Standard Schnauzer, that is Cleo, short for Cleopatra, a crazy girl I look after a lot.
Take care and best wishes,
Brigitte
Hi Arianne & Carsten
Oh, he’s one beautiful boy – what a great photo with his look-alike!
This is indeed good news – I’m so happy to hear his PCV is holding so well. I agree with Brigitte about starting the milk thistle product immediately – those enzymes will start going up & prevention is always best in my book!
Antibiotics for tummy problems – we worry about antibiotics on here because some are not safe for AIHA dogs – some antibiotics can trigger AIHA/IMHA. The safest one, which many of us use, is Tylan – here is Worzel’s Tylan story:
https://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/forums/topic/worzels-diarrhoea-tylan-success/
I contacted Dr Jean Dodds because of my concerns & she also recommended using Tylan. I do think it’s worth discussing with your vet. Did you manage to get any blood test copies, etc?
I bet his appetite will soon be improved – it’s great to have a back-up cat to get him to eat – so funny, aren’t they? Things are sounding really positive, Arianne – if they are enjoying a bit of playtime too, that’s such a good sign. It’s horrible seeing them lethargic & so much better when they start to perk up.
Big hugs, Sheena, Worzel & Ollie xxx
Arianne,
I am sorry you are going through this terrible disease with your so sweet girl Cassten…. you are so lucky to find this forum. These wonderful people gave me such comfort and support when my girl Hayley was hit with IMHA. I had never heard of this disease… didn’t understand anything about this awful disease. It is a roller coaster ride of many up’s and down’s as was stated above. My little one was 7 years old when hit with a PCV of 8% before her transfusion… now Hayley is 11 years old and I hope this gives you hope in knowing they do get better some much faster than other’s mine was very slow to get to the safe point. it is 24/7 TLC nursing and we do need to rest all we can to have the strength to be there in full for our dear babies. One thing I know helped me as we all know we are so very tired but we are there… sometime in a daze. I made a medicine chart and checked off each time I gave Hayley her many medications… I just could not remember for one minute to the next what I was doing. all have been through this and we all care and want to help and support each other… People who have not faced this awful disease with their dear fur baby just don’t seem to understand… we all know all the many feeling we each go through. And, just how important these awful medications are but they save our babies life … and when the time to start reducing … all these wonderful pet parents know how important the right way to reduce when that time comes… my girls vet sent me to this forum because … her vet and specialist has sh great respect for Dr. Jean Dodds and the fact all these wonderful ladies help you so much… I am so very thankful I came to this forum also… as time passes you see you have wonderful new friends who are there 24/7.. and even when your fur baby is better.In Germany I had a very special schnauzer who’s name is Leisel her first name was Erna a very old german name. All schnauzer’s are very special and very dear to my heart… they do have a human brain… very smart and so very sweet. I am wishing your baby and you the very best. Lynn & Hayley