Pit Diagnosed with AIHA

[Alyssa]

Just an update. Sassy is doing well. Her neck is back to normal, I really think it was just water retention. She’s been super playful, pulling her toys out of her box without any urging her to do so.

BUT, I stopped Doxycycline a few days ago now. She finished her rounds for her UTI. And that rash is coming back!! UGH! She’s got about 8 little bumps on her, and I just noticed one on her head that has broken and is now an open sore. I think it just happened today. So I cleaned it and applied ointment but I can see these are getting out of control since stopping the Doxy.

I will likely take her to our old vet Saturday. Because the new on isn’t open Saturday and the new dr. isn’t there on Fridays. Saturday is her two-week reduction blood check but I am undecided if I will do that while I am there. I really just want to get them to culture one of the sores and give me the right antibiotic for it, and wait to do the blood test at the new vet. I’m sure the new vet will prefer her own test the day we go in.

I didn’t want to go back here for any further treatment of AIHA but I am okay with skin stuff. I don’t know how to explain that without pissing someone off! And I really don’t feel I should wait a week on these skin sores.

[Patrice]

Alyssa,
Desire to play is one of the most important signs of recovery in dogs. This is super!

I’d say this is probably a staph infection. A small skin scrapping will be needed. There are some good specific antibiotics that will take care of this quickly.

Read more here:
https://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/AIHA_Terms/staph-infection/

my best
patrice

[Alyssa]

Vet in less than an hour!

First time we’ll be doing new bloodwork and a “real” visit at this new vet, not just consultation.

I expect Sassy will do great because she’s been fantastic lately. I had to put her back on Zeniquin (another round of 14 days for $121…) and some medicated shampoo and her bumps are slowly going away. The one that opened on her neck healed miraculously fast after the medicated bath, like, that night it was so much better and now it’s basically gone!

Anyway. Just an update. Nervous nervous nervous though – starting today I am officially going against what our original vet advised.

[admin]

I am crossing everything possible for Sassy – GOOD LUCK & keep on fighting for your girl. Hope it all goes well & looking forward to hearing how you get on with the new vet.
Love Sheena & the boys xoxoxox

[Alyssa]

We’re back!

Went great! Sassy is at 47. 82% which is up from 46.97%. Although this is a new vet so the machines are different and it could be the same. Either way that’s a very good number and we dont know what her “normal” was before and I’m thinking she is at it or really close.

So, reduction time. Here is what she was doing:

10mg pred morning, 5mg pred evening.

25mg azathioprine evening

And we’re going to

5mg pred morning, 5mg pred evening
Which is a little under a 34% reduction but I feel comfortable with this.

25 mg azathioprine one day, 12.5mg the next day. If anyone has suggestions for keeping track of this I’m all ears (eyes!)

We talked a lot more today and my gosh I really like this clinic. They don’t believe in over vaccinating pets and have moved all their clients over to a 3 year schedule from the 1 year everyone else in town tries to push.

She is absolutely fine writing me and Sassy a waiver so that she isn’t required by law to ever have rabies shots again. When I heard that, man, HUGE sigh of relief! I was fretting over that even though it’s 3 years away.

She talks with me a lot and has lots of patience explaining things, going over my huge folder of notes from her other vet, over her meds and test results. Realizes I am obsessive about copies and made me plenty. I’m feeling great about my choice to switch vets now.

Just as a side note, I had some aza filled last week at the old vet, and ONCE AGAIN the labels are were all wrong, saying to give 1.5 tabs when she’d been on 1/2 for over a month. Ridiculous. At this point I actually have gotten the hospital manager involved, because, I was able to let it got once…twice…but it’s been every single time for the last 2 months. 6-7 times. and I know I’m not the only one this is happening to. I fear they’re going to kill someone with those issues – what if I brought Sassy in on an emergency and they consulted the notes on her file which were obviously wrong/out of date? I just can’t believe it. I couldn’t let it go any longer. The meds in this illness are so critical and mistakes like that could cause a relapse :(

[Vally]

Alyssa, fabulous to hear the visit has gone so well. You should be so proud of yourself. Both you and Sassy will do great at this new vet for the simple reason that they listen. That is so very important. Yes, we’re all over the top, we’re paranoid but our dogs have been through a serious illness and we need to understand what’s happening.

Sassy 47.82 deserves a low fat treat!!!

Alyssa, have I done a medicine chart for you? I’m at work so I can’t check. Happy to do it or amend it or whatever to help keep the drugs straight.

If I haven’t done it yet, list what Sassy starts taking and what time and I’ll get it back to you.

Vally & Bingo
xxx

[Alyssa]

I don’t have a pill chart and that’s okay Valley – I went ahead and got a piece of paper and drew a calendar on it, that I put on the fridge. I wrote in the doses of Aza on each day until her next vet visit, so I can just cross them out as I go :)

Her pred and Famotidine are easy to remember. It was just that alternating day thing that I was fretting over!

Thank you so much for the offer though! I should of asked for a chart way back when she was taking like 15 pills a day LOL! Somehow got through it though!

[admin]

Hi Alyssa

CONGRATULATIONS – wonderful to see such a good PCV – you knew she was doing well though, It does show we all know how our dogs are feeling – I bet she’ll enjoy that lovely treat.

Really great news all round! It’s so much easier having a vet you can trust to do the right thing for Sassy Girl. We should not put up with poor veterinary treatment, but sometimes the circumstances make it difficult to change. But change we should & make it absolutely clear why we are not happy – in writing if necessary. There are a lot of people on here who have changed vets & never regretted it for a moment – it has been the best thing they have ever done! You have been brilliant Alyssa. Bravo.

Love Sheena & the boys xxxxx