Doberman with AIHA

[jill]

Hi Karyn ,ive just been reading about your poorly Loius, I m so sorry to hear what you have both been through,please stay strong. You have come to the right place, do not give up hope, the advice and support you will receive from this site is second to none, im so pleased you have contacted Jean Dobbs, im sure she willhelp sort Louis out, I ve heard she is a great lady who knows her stuff. I have a dog named Snoopy, who fell ill after xmas this year with aiha, my vets were good and managed to diagnosed him quick, he had a blood transfusion and was put on a cocktail of medications, but it was with the advice and support from this site that helped us through to were we are today, which is thankfully with Snoopy improving slowly,as it takes time and patience and a lot of hugging! please TRUST in the advice here, as we have all been through similar times with our beloved doggies, mayby some not as bad as Louis, but how ever bad he gets don’t give up because it takes time once hes been sorted out on the right meds ect, you should see him improve.My thoughts and prayers are with you, love and hugs, from Jill & Snoopy xxxx

[Sheena]

Karyn, you are not mad, just a truly lovely person, and a true doggie rescuer – you have a heart of gold. The amount of money you have spent is astounding – horrendous – but understandable for all of us. Thank you for telling Louis story.

I know things might seem ” hopeless ” in your husband’s eyes, but the fact that Louis is eating drinking & enjoying life, even though it’s maybe thanks to the transfusions, is so incredibly positive. My lovely husband was the same, I promise you. Don’t give up on him just yet – Louis will to live is astonishingly strong – Worzel’s prognosis was “poor” in the beginning – not what I wanted to hear, but he is sleeping beside me now, 3 years on from then.

Finding the cause of this is the most important thing in my opinion & I am “guessing” as we have no bloodwork that YOU are right about an infection, but I can’t be sure. Dr Dodds will never give up on you & will listen carefully to what you describe. Tell her everything you have told us. Something is causing him to use up those transfusions quickly & the cause is a vital part of this puzzle. My gut feeling is that eliminating the cause is the answer, but I’m not a vet. I know from talking to you that you will not give up or give in.

All of us in here, without exception, have lived through a horrible experience with this disease. We are living through this with you. We won’t give up either – please let us know what Dr Dodds says (folks I have sent Karyn the protocols that Dr Dodds has kindly let us give out already) & trust her implicitly. I know she’ll give you the best possible advice & is always happy to work alongside other professionals.

Sending hope, love, cuddles for Louis & every best wish,

Sheena, Worzel & Ollie xxxxx

[Vally]

Wow Karyn, I’m gobsmacked at what you’ve been through and the funds that you’ve had to throw at it.

As Sheena said, trust Dr Dodds, she is an amazingly brilliant doctor. Not big on words, and I always want to warn people of that as her answers can seem abrupt, but having dealt with her for so long now I’m amazed at her kindness and compassion – to say nothing of her brilliance. She has a real eye at spotting things.

Send her everything you have. If you’re using the online form, it only allows you to attach one item, so what I have always done is scan everything together into 1 document and send it through. Once you have an email back from her, it’s actually easier.

Can you tell me the times you’re dosing the different drugs and I’d be happy to make up a chart for you.

I know Sheena has been in touch with you by phone. She’s an amazingly wonderful lady who knows her stuff. She’s a real softie too :)

Love Vally & Bingo

[admin]

Hi Karyn – I haven’t posted on here for quite a while, but do read the posts. I am so sorry to hear about Louis. This is a truly awful disease and anyone who has been on this website knows that it is a dreadful roller coaster. I notice that you took him to Liverpool, which means you are in the north west. If you need someone else to talk to directly who is in the area, I live in NE Shropshire – in case it helps to speak directly to someone. I don’t have the experience of some of the others on this site with the drugs etc but I have lived through the horrors of this disease. My email is (deleted for security by Sheena) – I can give you my phone number on that if you do. You are more than welcome to call/visit if it’s not too far, for a bit of moral support

Lynda Birke

[Karxlee]

Hi Lynda, thank you for your post and support, I’m based in Blackpool and I really do wish I had found this site months ago.
So an update on Louis, he’s seems quite bright this morning although tires very quickly, he is still obsessed by food and he is drinking well, although he has shocking diarrhea – I hope you have eaten before reading this – it’s bright orange which shows it’s full of Billy Ruben, so his RBC are still being killed at a rapid rate.
We have just given him his morning meds and I have cleaned and treated his sores, although we have no run out of CLZ Wipes, which is really annoying because I am going to have to try and source some on a Sunday! Why do vets do that, they never give you enough to last the week, although I guess they don’t expect him to last a week.
We are both watching him like a hawk expecting him to go downhill and become critical again today when he does he tends to just fall off the edge of the cliff. He had his blood transfusion on Friday so if we follow the normal pattern then he will be reaching his tolerance level today. As I’m writing this he is led by the radiators having his normal muscle tremors, yet another side effect of his drugs (so we’ve been told), his breathing seems ok although he is making a few grunts.
Last week he had his transfusion on the Saturday Night and got to 24% PCV but by Monday night he was down to 15% and then down to 13% Tuesday morning, so if we follow that then he is probably around 18% now. Time just seems to be against us, things always happen at a weekend or a bank holiday, I mean Dr Dodds probably won’t even be able to offer any advice until it’s too late, with the luck we have she’s probably on leave. Sorry I sound down I think I’m having one of those days, it just feels like our life is on hold until he goes, I’m also scared that if Dr Dodds needs information from Liverpool she may not get it, there seems to be some kind or reluctance to hand anything over to clients, I just hope professional pride is put to one side, and information is provided quickly.
I am aware she will need blood test results and blood smear results, but no-one will give them to us, which is beyond frustrating when we have paid so much money! I feel like we are on one of those sand timers, where the sand drains away, I’m in the bottom chamber frantically trying to block the sand coming through and burying us. :(

[Jane Hodgkinson]

Hi. My 8 year old Labrador was diagnosed with AIHA February 2016. She was prescribed Prednidale steroids. Her blood count has risen but she has a lot of muscle loss and doesn’t seem to be getting it back. Is this normal and her muscle will return? or does she need to be on something else to help? Her dose of Predinale has been reduced from 7mgs every 12 hours (14 mgs per day) to 4 mgs every 12 hours (8 mgs per day) But still she seems week with no return of muscle. I hope there is a way of building her muscle back up. Thanks. Jane

[Karxlee]

So a Louis update, he is eating well and still drinking, he has been a little quiet this afternoon however that might be because he tried to chase a cat when he went out for a wee! Honestly that boy is a shocker and will be the death of me I’m sure.

He’s had his bath with medicated shampoo which he wasn’t a fan of. His paw has swollen up as well which is a worry. Once again I’ve spoken to Sheena and feel quite a but better. Dr Dodds has been in touch and had a brief look at his case but it doing a 6 hour webex so wont be able to look in any depth until after that.

I have contacted Stefano at Rutland again to see if he will work with Dr Dodds, to be fair the treatment he gave Louis was mostly correct, and he has a rapor with Louis and us, so hopefully he will take his case back.

I am dying to find out what his PCV level is, but also frightened to death to know the results if that makes sense.

I know this probably isn’t allowed but I’m going to try anyway, this is Louis’s gofund me page.

https://www.gofundme.com/6snb33r6

Once again thank you to everyone one of you that have given and offered support, this website and forum are amazing.
Love Louis’s Mum xxx

[Vally]

Hi Jane, I’ve just made up a forum entry for you and your Lab. If you’d go to this entry:

https://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/forums/topic/8-year-old-labrador/