Lola

[Vally]

Hi Ashley.

Got your urgent message.

Regards, Vally

[Vally]

Hi Ashley, wanted to get a quick link up to the forum for you.

Can you tell us about Lola:

What weight is she?
Is she on any meds yet?
What sort of tests has she had. If you have a copy, you can post them through the urgent link, the same way you sent the urgent advice email or you can list them here.
Do you know what her present PCV is (her blood readings).

We’ve all been through this and it’s terrifying and very draining. There are some fabulous people here so I hope we can all help you and Lola through this.

My very best, Vally (& Bingo – diagnosed Nov 2011 in remission)

[Brigitte]

Hi Ashley,
I am so sorry you had to find us. there are many people that have gone through similar things you are going through and are willing to help with their advice. Please ask away!
Best wishes to Lola and you,
Brigitte

[admin]

Hi Ashley

Welcome to the site, though I am very sorry to hear that Lola has AIHA. It is a difficult time for you both for sure. All of us have been through this with our pets and will completely understand how you are feeling. Are you able to give us some further information about Lola?

Best wishes, Mary & Mable x

[admin]

Hi Ashley

Sorry to hear bout Lola, but glad you’ve found us – welcome! We all understand completely what an awful time you are going through. In order to help you as much as possible, it would be great if you could provide the information everyone else has asked for.

Hoping to hear from you very soon.

All our best wishes,
Sheena & Worzel (diagnosed with rare form of IMHA Dec 2012)

[Linda]

Hello Ashley. I too am so sorry you are going through this with your Lola. And I too, hope to hear from you soon.

Had it not been for this group, I am quite sure my Sadie would not be here today. They also were here for me emotionally, which gave me the strength to stay positive – there were so many crazy days and sleepless nights. I am glad to say, today Sadie is doing pretty dog-gone great. AIHA CAN BE BEAT!

It’s an emotional roller coaster, dealing with it all. Please stay with us and give us as much detail as possible, as all have said. We’re here for you.

Sending hang-in there hugs, Linda and Sadie

[Ashley]

General Information about Lola:
-Lola is a rescue schnauzer-hound mix.
-She is about 5-6 years old.
-Lola was diagnosed with AIHA in February of 2014.
-Lola showed no signs of illness, but I received a call from our dog walker that there was excessive blood in her urine during a daily visit.
-Lola was rushed to the vet, but her condition was initially diagnosed as a UTI.
-That evening, I noticed several small bruises on her stomach.
-At the urging of an out-of-state vet freind, we took her to the emergency vet as our normal vet was closed.
-The ER diagnozed her as suffering from rat poisnoning (which was shocking b/c we do not purchase any pesticides and have no issues with neighbors), and we started a Vitamin K treatment.
-It was during subsequent check-ups that tests were run for Tick Disease and AIHA, and AIHA was diagnosed as our culprit.

What weight is she?
-At her last appointment (May 5, 2014), Lola weighed 36.5 lbs.

Is she on any meds yet?
-Lola is currently on Prednisone (10mg twice a day on a 14 day taper) and Azothioprine (16mg daily for a month). She also takes Melatonin (3-5mg dail in the evening) to increase the effectiveness of the other medications.
-We had begun to taper the Prednisone after seemingly getting her AIHA under control, but her numbers came back very low during her May 5th appointment. As a result, we increaserd the Prednisone and began the Azothioprine and Melatonin treatments.
-Lola is very sensitive to Prednisone, and the increased dosage has been rough (panting, lethargy, moodiness, heat sensitivity, etc.).

What sort of tests has she had. If you have a copy, you can post them through the urgent link, the same way you sent the urgent advice email.
-At each check-up, our vet runs a CBC test.
-They appear to be testing the platelet count and confirming the numbers through blood smears.

Do you know what her present PCV is (her blood readings).
-Vet notes from May 5, 2014 read: severly reduced platelet count (32,000; 150,000-260,000). This was confirmed with blood smear; also the platelets present are mostly megaplatelets. Platelet destruction in peripheral vasc or in tissue is most likley the process the bone marrow appears to be somewhat active.

[admin]

Hello Ashley,
thank you for the detailed update on Lola. While this disease is emotionally very draining, I know a relapse is even worse. Here you are, thinking your dog is getting better and then she is back to where it all started. Please hang in there for Lola, even after a relapse this disease can be beaten.
Of course I don’t know your vet and how much experience they have with this disease. But I can tell you that the average vet has not treated it very much. I would do some friendly inquiries and see if your vet could refer you to an internal medicine vet or better yet see if you could go to a teaching vet hospital if there is one in a reasonable distance. The other option would be that you or your vet would consult with Dr. Dodds from hemopet in California. She is the foremost expert and her fees are very reasonable.
It would be helpful if you could post the exact lab results and also the doses of the medications that Lola gets. Please make sure she is on some sort of a stomach protectant as these drugs are very harsh on the GI tract. Sucralfate or Carafate are very important, pepcid can be helpful for acid reflux. Please ask your vet for them. Is Lola eating? What are you feeding her?
Please keep posting, you are not alone in this! No matter what the problem, there will be someone here that might have gone through this and have an answer.
Best wishes,

Brigitte