sassy is relapsing.

[Brigitte]

Good morning Alyssa!
This sounds good, so positive! We start to really appreciate the small improvements don’t we. You are doing a fantastic job and Sassy is doing hers so very well too! Time to celebrate the small steps and relax just a little. Don’t be disappointed if she did not do a big jump in PCV, slow and steady is good. Go with those positive signs how she is behaving, it will be a good day!
Cheers Brigitte

[Alyssa]

Good lord. She is at 19%. I almost can’t believe it. I was just praying for her to hold steady at 17%. I realize there can be a 2% difference…but that still means she held at 17 or rose 2pts in 2 days on her own. Right? The transfusion brought her to 17% on the 2nd. This 2% is most likely her on her own?

Whites are down to 23, from 29.
Platelets are 457.

Here are her test results in full:
http://i.imgur.com/LANz4bf.jpg

I’ll attach it to urgent care also. I do not have copies of the previous test, but she was 17%, platelets 298, wbc 26 the night of her second transfusion (2 days ago).

Are her platelets going too high now…?? A bit alarmed at the rate that they’re rising. I am. The vet didn’t seem concerned.

She had her catheter removed and it seems like it’s sore now. She went from jumping in the car to needed help after it was removed. Is there anything I can do to sooth it? It was in there for 2 days and wrapped pretty tight. She dripped a bit of blood when it was pulled out (ugh, I nearly fainted – but he said it was perfectly normal – big cath) I wasn’t sure if ice or heating pad would feel good or if I should just leave it alone. She is not actively messing with it, just didn’t want to put much pressure on it after that.

I also found out she is actually on Prednisolne and not Prednisone this time. Dr didn’t tell me that until today (he called it prednisone). I was asking about smaller tablets because these Prednisolne are huge, and he said he actually hasn’t been able to get prednisone for a while and he’d have to call it in a pharmacy. Could this have been why it took longer to stop? Is there a big difference between the two? Are the side effects different?

We are no where near out of the woods – I know. I’m still very guarded. But so happy she held.

[Brigitte]

Alyssa,
the poodles and I are doing the happy dance! This all sounds so positive. As you say she is not out of the woods, but slowly heading in the right direction.
I am not sure about the prednisone prednisolone difference. I think that in the UK they usually use the prednisolone and there is not a big difference. I think I would just leave the catheter site alone, be patient. If she does not leave it alone that would be an other story. I bet in a day it is much better already.
I am honest I will not even look at the test results, I just don’t understand the connections. High is high and low is low, that’s about the extent of my understanding. But as we all know there are people that are very good at it.
I told you it will be a good day! Celebrate!

Brigitte

[Sheena]

Hi Alyssa

Brigitte was right – looking good & stable – yippeeeee!!!!!! Platelets are fine & normal – they are only worryingly high if over 1 million.

Prednisolone is identical to prednisone in it’s effect, it’s just the liver has to turn prednisone into prednisolone. We only normally get given prednisolone in Europe, usually soluble too! So, it IS in effect the same drug – no difference whatsoever in it’s action. See
https://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/AIHA_Terms/prednisone/
In my opinion, prednisolone is probably more efficient because it is already in it’s effective form.

They would have cleaned her catheter wound at the vets, so leave well alone unless it starts looking red or infected!

I am really happy to hear she’s a little better

Sheena

[Vally]

Well done Sassy. Little steps are great and I’m doing the dance too .

Ha, Sheena beat me to it. We use prednisolone here rather than prednisone too. It’s actually easier on the liver as Sheena said, the liver doesn’t need to do the converting. Prednisolone is the end results of prednisone, once processed by the liver.

Love Vally & Bingo

[Alyssa]

Sassy pooped a few hours ago. It was finally solid, and brown. No blood and no orange. Wasn’t as much as I would of liked but we were starting to worry about constipation so I’m really happy she went at all. Pee is still nice. Gums are pink. We’re going to the vet again in the morning. Fingers crossed.

She is really liking rice, chicken and pumpkin right now. I’m going to put some chicken bones in a crockpot and simmer them overnight to give her the broth.

I had some liver last night made up and Sassy came into the kitchen, sitting up, and was catching pieces I tossed at her. It was crazy to me to see her doing that! (Just a few small bits of liver – I’m careful with it)

Okay, I like that prednisolone is easier on the liver. I was really worried about that, but now I understand it’s the same drug.

[Vally]

Alyssa, that’s fabulous. I’ve always found that after a bout of diarrhear, poos slow down a bit, so to see a nice yummy solid brown, is brilliant.

How’s the catheter site looking now?

More fingers/toes/eyes crossed.

Love Vally & Bingo

[Sheena]

Great to hear her poop has settled down to normal brown, Alyssa. As Vally says, after diarrhoea, my two boys sometimes don’t even have a poo for a while. Good luck with the next check-up!

Love Sheena, Worzel & Ollie xxxxx