Newly Diganosed AIHA in Min. Schnauzer

[Susie]

Oh my goodness, Arianne! What a little stinker. He sounds just like my dog! She steals anything she can, whenever she can. In the beginning of her illness she found and ate a mouse!! I was a wreak over it, but she hasn’t had any repercussions from it. I’ll be praying for your little guy. This prednisone makes them little piggies and Emily didn’t need any help in that department!

We went through the same issue last night with fireworks. I kind of wanted to get some Acepromazine for my girls because it’s worked so well in the past, and knowing the fourth was approaching, but I was nervous to use it on Emily right now along with everything else she’s taking. (I’m glad to know it must be okay though) I used lavender and roman chamomile essential oils and that seemed to take the edge off. We’re also in an area where fireworks are illegal and it just seems to make it even more tempting to our neighbors to set them off! Where are you locate if you don’t mind my asking?

Prayerfully, Susie and Miss Piggy

[Susie]

I’m sorry I forgot to congratulate you and Carsten on that AMAZING PCV!! That’s an awesome and FAST increase!
Also, if you’re interested, you can go to the forum topic, “Anxiety and AIHA” and you’ll see the wonderful suggestions the ladies offered on natural ways to deal with anxiety issues. There are some neat links on there.
❤️Susie

[admin]

Arianne,
I am so happy Carsten is doing better! Isn’t it incredible how through this disease we get totally in tune with our dogs, we become experts in dog observation. I also find it incredible how every dog reacts different, to be sick with AIHA, to react to the medications, the food. This is one reason why this forum is so great. We can all learn and exchange ideas.
The chicken bones, since they were cooked, are definitely not a good thing. We all would never intentionally feed our dogs cooked bones (some raw bones are ok) But I would honestly not worry too much and just keep a close eye on Carston. In the days before manufactured dog food, I am pretty sure dogs always got some cooked bones and were just fine. We have all heard the horror stories what could happen and like I said would never intentionally do it, but hey it happened at least Carsten has an appetite.
Best wishes,
Brigitte

[Alyssa]

Please let me know if this link works.. I have never tried to share from google+ before.
https://goo.gl/photos/hVQ4TFi4CGYNL4fM6

If it does, that is a video I took of Sassy during the first 2 weeks of her illness. Her breathing patterns were seriously freaking me out!! It’s a long video and in a few parts she starts dreaming. But you can see, her breathing was very irregular – speeding up like very rapid, slowing down. It really scared me but prednisone does this to our dogs. I was told that, unless you see them having labored breathing which you can see by if it appears they are breathing from they belly area and not their rib cage area, it is normal. The breathing lasted a few weeks with us until we started to lower the pred. But it is scary!!

I’m surprised at that PCV – wow!! GO Carsten!! That is fantastic. Unfortunately I don’t have any advice for anxiety, I have never found anything that works for thunderstorms and I really don’t want to give drugs for it.. there are herbal things people swear by, I haven’t tried any myself. But, at least this weekend is ending and the fireworks should stop.

Sassy turned very sneaky on Pred. I would leave her, seemingly asleep in my room, and walk to the bathroom which is only a few feet away, and would suddenly hear her TIP TOEING. Yes, she TIP TOED because we have hardwood floors and she knows it makes noise. Then I heard something fall over. I ran out and she was trying to get into our desk trash can, which doesn’t even have food thrown away in it. Maybe it was a greasy napkin she was after. Anyway, she waited until she knew I was out of sight to do this. She did the same thing with the kitchen trash and other things, when before she was a very well behaved dog. The pred-hunger can make them get into things you never think they would so be diligent about not leaving anything in reach.

[Vally]

Arianne, I think Carsten is paying pay back for giving him the Acepromazine. Yes this has been mentioned before, a while ago, about the drug keeping them quiet but really doing nothing to stop the anxiety. Yes I agree, I think it sounds terrible, but Arianne, you did what you thought was best. We’ve all been caught out like that. Years ago, I was given tablets for Bingo (before diagnosed) for joint issues. When I got them home, after dosing him, I started reading up about it and how dogs had died from using this particular drug. I was furious. Sure, it’s probably a small percentage, but still, not my boy. We live and learn.

Just keep an eye on Carsten for the next day or so. I hope he enjoyed that chicken at least.

Vally & Bingo
xxx

[Arianne]

Susie,

We live in Kansas City, MO. It is not the “Wizard of Oz” kind of place many people think it is. :)

Alyssa,
Thank you so much for sharing that video. That really gave me some reassurance as to what is going on with him. His breathing looks like that, too, but he doesn’t have the snoring or noise that is present in that video.

He is doing okay right now. He is laying down on the floor in front of the fan which is new, but I suspect it is because he is hot. It’s only 74 in the house right now, but maybe it’s the prednisone?

He ate dinner well and is still going after his water. Took him out earlier and he had a good poop, no straining, no pain. I’m happy about that.

We have a scheduled dr. appt. to check the PCV again in the morning. I’m hoping to see that 35 stick or go up. I read that one of the side effects of Acepromazine is that it can drop RBC. Here’s to hoping it doesn’t!

Thanks a million, guys,
Arianne and Carsten

[Alyssa]

Oh yes – pred makes them very hot! Sassy liked the fan too and she also stopped laying on her beds and much preferred the hard floors because they were cool. So I bet Carsten will like a fan staying on for him! Also, he may enjoy a bowl of really small ice chips – mostly ice, little bit of water. Sassy did!

Oooh Sassy has always been a snorer, it’s very ridiculous actually, that was nothing compared to her usual symphony LOL the snoring wasn’t caused by the pred in her case but her erratic speed was.

[admin]

Hi Arianne

Great news on that PCV, but what a nightmare eating all that awful stuff! They are such little thieves. Hope everything comes out the other end OK really soon!

The acepromazine story is a lesson we should all learn from – I would advise EVERYONE to be extremely careful about giving their dog any drug (including some antibiotics) with this disease because many are AIHA triggers or can cause blood dyscrasias (blood abnormalities). Before giving your dogs anything, please ask us for help checking it out. I am always happy to help with that – I’ve nearly made a mistake myself because our local vets gave Worzel something he shouldn’t have had (an antibiotic) & I didn’t look it up. I just assumed he knew what he was doing – I felt pretty stupid for not checking it out – so we cannot always rely on the vets, as I know very well! Never assume.

Another thing that always sticks in my mind – Patrice once told us a story about a dog on no stomach protection who was in such pain that he/she tried to eat anything to stop the agony & ended up eating all sorts of awful things including socks. When they opened the tummy up, they were shocked at what they found – terrible ulceration & bleeding – poor little dog. Sorry to have to repeat that. but it shows how important sucralfate & other tummy protectors are. These drugs are very hard on the GI tract. They also make them ravenous & it’s hard to keep an eye on them every single minute.

Good luck with tomorrow’s test

Sheena x