Beautiful Dally with IMHA

[SueBee]

Our 5-yo dalmatian has had IMHA for 2 months. It is a hideous disease and I hate it. The pred has destroyed his usually lean and muscular body so much that he now needs help up and down the stairs. It breaks my heart and I am tearing up just writing this.

He had a transfusion 2 months ago and seemed to stabilise with a PCV around 26. Then he started to get gut issues and his count plummeted. Yesterday he had another transfusion at 12 and was discharged to home with a count of 20.

He goes back today to have his bloods checked but I don’t think he looks well. I suspect they have dropped again.

I don’t know where we go from here and if there is any positive outcome. How do we know what to do? He seems happy in himself – he wags his tail alot – but he has no energy and he is terrified of the vet and blood tests. And of course, the cost shouldn’t be an issue, but it is an expensive disease to treat. It’s going to be such a horrid Christmas :(

[SueBee]

Thanks Vally. I’m in Brisbane so same/similar timezone.
Teako (our dally) is on a cocktail of drugs but I think the Prednisone side effects are the ones I hate the most. He’s on:
Pred, Cyclosporin, Losec, metoclopramide, metronidazole, melatonin, sucralfate (for his ulcers) and new drug yesterday – Leflumonide.

I’m not so concerned about the drug cost but he has had numerous emergency overnight stays plus the transfusions. They are the big hits. Plus big cost everytime he has a blood test.

Thanks for the advice about Dr Dodds. I’ll have a look at her info and see how we go today with PCV count. I hadn’t heard of using Thyroxine. His condition is regenerative so is making lots of new cells so maybe that’s why it hasnt been suggested – but I’ll mention that to the vet this arvo.
Thanks for hearing me out.

Sue & Teako

[Vally]

Hi SueBee, I’m so sorry to hear about Dally. My boy was diagnosed in November 2011 and I remember crying just before Christmas and telling someone that he probably wouldn’t make it to Christmas. I was wrong. He did..

It is the most hideous disease and I know your heart is breaking but Dally is still fighting and if he seems happy and is wagging his tail, he’s feeling better than he looks. Good luck today and I’m praying for you ad Dally and crossing everything that there’s some improvement.

The prednisone dose such a number on them, but all of that starts to reverse when they stabilise and the prednisone can start to be reduced.

Is Dally on any other medication? Prednisone isn’t enough. It’s very very rare that that alone will do it. A second drug, preferably Cyclosporine (Atopica) as it has fewer side effects is often essential. Also what about tummy protection. Prednisone is very harsh on the stomach. Bingo ended up with an ulcer, so he started Sucralfate and that takes care of their tummies.

The cost is horrendous, we all know that. Try and source drugs from pharmacies or Costco and Amazon by using a prescription. It’s cheaper than buying from the vets. Transfusions costs are unbelievable so I’m praying that Dally doesn’t need any more.

SueBee, for the tough ones, the best thing to do is contact Dr Jean Dodds. If Dally isn’t improving, that is what I would do. You can ask you vet to contact her, or if they’re not happy to do it, you can do it yourself with an Online Consultation. She responds very quickly. It costs $175 for an owner consult, but once you’ve paid that, you can simply respond to her email in the future and she gets back to you, so it’s really a very inexpensive consult as it’s a one-off charge. She is brilliant with this disease. This is a link to her page, the second box is the owner consultation.
https://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/hemopetresources/

Is Dally on thyroid medication? She uses it as a standard protocol in her treatment. Actually her protocol is also on that page. Thyroxine has often turned dogs around as it helps the marrow to make red blood cells.

I’m always checking in but in Australia, so a different time zone most likely, but don’t hesitate to write.

Good luck today.

Vally & Bingo (diag Nov 2011, in remission)

[Vally]

Sorry I did something major wrong and caused a problem with my post. I’ve just killed the post to solve it, so ******* the last post is out of order****** and should be above Sue’s second post.

Good luck today Sue – let us know how Teako went.

Fingers crossed.

Vally & Bingo

[Vally]

Actually, I was wrong, the Owners Consult with Dr Dodds is US$150 not $175. If you do that, its best to give her as much information as possible, preferably the last few blood tests. The upload only takes one document, so what I’ve done is scanned everything together into 1 document and attach it.

How did Teako go?

Vally and Bingo

[SueBee]

Thanks for all this info and support Vally. He’s stable – no better, but importantly, no worse. I didn’t used to like ‘stable’ but have learnt it is so much better than the alternative. Now we have to wait and see which way he goes later in the week.

[Vally]

That’s like I can’t say Bingo is cured. He’s in remission.

Vally and Remission
Xxx

[SueBee]

I’m so sad to say that we lost the battle today. The whole family is devastAted and I am just hollow.
Thanks for your support in our last days. Wishing you all the best in your journeys.