Page 4 – Second Chance AIHA Dogs

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Keymaster

Message from Karyn who is unable to post:

I’ve just got back from Rutland, it’s funny how we get to know our dogs so well, that they can almost speak to us.
Louis’s PCV has dropped to 13%, he is currently waiting for a blood transfusion, much to the dismay of Stefano, I think he wants us to call it at day now, because nothing is working.
One thing that has really helped us is Louis’s blog, because I have captured every single minute of this terrible journey, it has allowed us to track back what happens just before his PCV drops, and the common theme is the introduction of a new immune suppressant other than prednisolone.
So we have been proven right yet again, the introduction of his latest drug has caused another crash in PCV. He paws and legs have also started to swell, so he’s really found it hard to get about.
We have pushed Stefano into giving him another blood transfusion, for a number of reasons.
1) Louis is still eating, and interested in food, so much so he pinches Olga’s when she’s not looking.
2) His stomach is fine, he has normal poops.
3) He is still following us around the house when we go into another room.
4) He’s drinking well.
5) When we take him out for a wander around he still carries and chew’s his Frisbee.
6) He’s put weight on.

Stefano mentioned a paper he had found on the internet and has done some research on a drug called Liposomal Clodronate. He explained that this drug has been used on dogs with AIHA, in a small trail and it’s had good results BUT.. and there’s always a but… he said in his opinion there hasn’t been enough trials done for it to be considered as a treatment in the UK. It can only be sourced from USA, and that means import and medical certificates, which all take time.
Which is where I jumped in and said a blood transfusion will buy him time, for you to do your research and to find out if and how we can get our hands on this stuff.
I asked what it does and he said it acts like a Trojan horse to infiltrate the body, and it latches onto the cells that are killing his red blood cells and destroys them, he said the only thing that is causing him real concern is that all of the dogs in the trials had spleens and Louis doesn’t. There was a long silence in the room at this point.
Without wanting to sound like we are using Louis as a ‘test case’ I said “None of the normal immune suppressants, like cyclosporine, mycophenolate etc have worked, so as long as you can assure us that Louis isn’t in any pain then I think we should at least try to see if we can actually get hold of the stuff. Stefano said Louis isn’t in pain, he is just finding it difficult to get about, he said he is breathless and will probably feel dizzy, but his’s not in pain.
I know we keep saying this is his last chance, but we have come so far I am not ready to give up, not that we could ever be accused of giving up but you know what I mean.
If anyone has heard of this drug Liposomal Clodronate then please let me know.
Hopefully I can pick him up later tonight after his transfusion, at least it will keep the cost down a bit.
Love Karyn
xx

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