4mo pup IMHA

[Amy]

I am just sick! on Feb 28th at 4am I rush my 4 month old puppy to the emergency vet. She was a limp dish rag. The Doctors knew it was bad when they took her from me. Her blood count was 4.9% She needed a blood transfusion. She was given a less than 20% chance of survival. She made it through the transfusion and held steady at 18% for two days. She has been home two nights yesterdays check was 22%. we will go back tomorrow for another check. She is on Prednisone, amoxicillin, pepcid, baby aspirin and melatonin. She is still a ticking time bomb and I am out of my mind with worry. Every time she lays down I have a panic attack. I found this site looking for prognosis on puppies that have IMHA but it seems that it is extremely rare. I can not find any information except on older dogs. Has anyone every heard of this happening to a puppy? if so were the outcomes good? bad? better? worse? I am just devastated. I keep praying for a miracle. Thanks for any help or support you can offer.

[Brigitte]

Hello Amy,
it is hard watching a dog being sick with this awful disease, I can not even imagine how hard it would be to watch a puppy being so sick. I have heard of many dogs around a year old being diagnosed but can only recall one very young puppy, a 4 month old West Highland White Terrier. I can’t remember the name but I know the little dog recovered and was fine!!! So, first of all get that 20% survival rate right out of your head! Please!!! I must say I find it a bit irresponsible to give stats like that. Don’t get me wrong, I know just all too well, this is a very serious disease. But you can ask anybody here, there have been numerous dogs that have survived and like I said I know this one 4 month old puppy that did and I am sure there are more that I can not remember right now.
So…. lets start the fight! Promise me you are not giving up! There are many people here that can give you tones of advice in all aspects of this disease. First of all please answer some questions for us:
What breed is your puppy and how much does she weigh?
What is her name?
What is the exact dosage she is been given?
Could you maybe download the latest lab results on the urgent advice page? Some people here are phenomenal at reading things in there and also explaining what they think is going on.
Very important: has a tick test been done? It is always suspicious when a wee puppy gets ill with this and I think the puppy I remember had a tick borne disease. This is quite possible and I would insist on a test even if you never saw a tick on you puppy.
Try and relax a bit, I know this is easier said than done. Stress is a big factor with these dogs and of course your puppy will pick it up from you if you are stressed. She does not need that, so try and be relaxed, hopeful and positive around her. Try and tell her that you got this, and you really do! you already reached out, that is step #1 you are your puppy’s advocate. If you have to fall apart and cry, do it away from the pup. She does not need to worry, that is your job right now. I think you can be very hopeful that your pup will recover! Have you considered consulting with a specialist (internal medicine) or you could also consult with Dr. Dodds, she is a vet that is most knowledgeable in this disease and has helped many dogs here. You find the link to her consultation request under the Second Chance Resources: https://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/hemopetresources/
She only asks a small fee but you will get lots of advice
Please give us more info on your pup and don’t give up hope!
Best wishes,
Brigitte

[Brigitte]

Amy,
the fact that your pup’s PCV was rising after the blood transfusion is proof that you can be very hopeful!

Brigitte

[Sheena]

Hi Amy

I’m so very sorry to read this. How awful for your little pup to have to go through this – you must be absolutely exhausted, worried & panicked too. Youth is certainly an advantage with thus disease, but goodness 4 months old is so unfair & certainly rare.
What is your puppy’s name?

We haven’t had many puppies on here, I’m afraid, but your little one has made a good improvement thanks to your vet’s prompt intervention. I believe this us a great sign of positivity & is a real fighter – an improvement in PCV is a great start. It sounds like an infection is suspected because of the antibiotics being given. Do you know what it is?

Normally a second long acting immuno-suppressant such as cyclosporine or azathioprine is added to the treatment, but there may be a reason – perhaps the young age? – why this has not been done.

I would urge you to contact a specialist called Dr Jean Dodds with great urgency. She is a reknowned expert in this field & I think bearing in mind puppys bones are still forming & growing (bone marrow produces blood cells) that you need someone really experienced to help you. Medication may also be different for such a young pup. You can contact her through the Hemopet Resources page on this site

https://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/hemopetresources/

& click on the owner consultation form.

Transfusions are wonderful help for our dogs when they are very sick – it buys us time to get the medications in place & to give them time to work. If your pup needs another, that’s fine – don’t be afraid of that. You have every reason to believe your pup can recover well from this. As an ex-nurse (many years ago!), I would say that treating babies is way different from treating adults, so get help from Dr Dodds as soon as you can.

Sending all my very best wishes – please let us know how things are going & if there is anything we can do – I am thinking about you & your little one.

Sheena xxx

[Sheena]

Sorry Amy & Brigitte – we were typing at the same time – apologies for any repetition

[Vally]

Hi Amy, Brigitte beat me to it, so I won’t repeat what I was typing. Just wanted to add my hello and say I know you’re freaked out, we all were and still get that way at times.

As Brigitte said, the fact that the PCV has risen is excellent news. In fact quite often after a transfusion, it’s not unusual to see it drop a bit.

Definitely send through copy of any blood test results, or if you don’t have a copy, ask for them. Someone here can help you understand what’s happening, and it’s a good way to track progress. Use the Urgent Advice at the top, or here’s the link
https://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/urgent-advice/

Amy ask anything at all, we love to help.

PS If you need a medicine chart made up, I’d be happy to do that for you.

[Vally]

Ahhhh, everyone’s typing at the same time.

Love Vally & Bingo (diag Nov 2011, in remission)

[Patrice]

Amy,
The most common trigger of this condition occurring in puppies are reactions to recent vaccinations. There are usually two series of puppy vaccinations done by 4 months. In many states and localities the rabies vaccination is required by law at 4 months. This vaccination can be troublesome and may lead to an autoimmune reaction. So, it is not common, but not rare either.

Another very common trigger for puppies is the ingestion of a coin that may contain zinc. Most pennies are made with zinc. This can cause a form of hemolytic anemia. The best approach to determining this is to perform an xray to see if it is still inside the intestines. If so it must be removed. Have they discussed this with you?

Puppies are notorious for getting into all kinds of things because they learn by putting stuff in their mouths. They may also not be cautious about things like spiders, bees or snakes. Is there any chance that she was exposed to any of these?

Vets can also overload puppies with not only vaccinations but with flea and tick disease preventatives, whether topical, oral or injected. These can combine with the other triggers and lead to an autoimmune reaction.

Has your puppy seemed very healthy up to this point? Some puppies may not do well from birth and be overly sensitive. Developing an autoimmune condition would be more likely in these dogs.

It’s important to understand that there can be many triggers that contribute. Your job is to help your vet sort through some of the things that have struck you as “out of the ordinary” during her first 4 months of age. Do you know who the mother is? Do you have contact with your breeder? They can be of great help to you at this point, advising you on what to do next.

We have many resources on the website to help you understand this condition better. I have made two short introductory videos that you might want to watch. See them here:
AIHA Introductory Videos

Also check out our extensive AIHA Terms here:
AIHA Terms

Please remember to get copies of all laboratory paperwork for your records so we can view that material. You can upload them at this page:
Urgent Advice
my best
patrice