Hi Vally,
I do have all the blood tests available – I’ll send them when I’m at home. Some more information would be great from a new set of eyes!
We picked up the antibiotics (I believe it was the doxycycline, but my SO went to pick it up) today and will finish those, since the general consensus is that if she has an infection, the antibiotics will help, and if she doesn’t, it’s not a big deal.
The vet decided not to do a stool sample at this time and we’re just going to monitor her for the time being.
The hope is that in January we will take her off the cyclosporine and then begin tapering off the prednisone if all seems okay.
Fingers crossed! I’ll keep updating with new information as we go and I’ll submit her blood tests asap.
Thanks!
Hi and welcome! I am sorry I am late to the party. I am so sorry you are going through this. I am sure Vally has given you the best advice available on how to handle the medications for your pup. I would like to suggest that you also give her some sweet potato with every meal to help her tummy and to make a small attempt to hold off the diarrhea that the antibiotics will cause. It won’t hurt her to have it. If there is anything else we can help you with please give a shout. You and your pup are in my prayers. Take a deep breath and try to relax.
Warmly,
Amy and the girls ( Vidia, Coal & Leia)
Hi Nicole and Bean! Me and my Charlie have been on a similar roller coaster ride with the disease and all the meds. Charlie was initially on doxycycline when the vet thought he had a tick disease. Then we stopped it after the IMHA diagnosis because specialist didn’t think we needed it. After some nasty issues with diarrhea, emergency vet gave us an another antibiotic called Metronidazole. That helped tremendously. After we finished that, specialist started yet another antibiotic called Baytril because of the elevated billirubin levels. Charlie still on the Baytril, and it too has kept tummy issues under control. I know it’s very scary to start and stop meds. Whenever the vets want to introduce new antibiotics, I always ask if there will be any complications with all the other IMHA meds, and I do my own online research on the meds, and of course, referring to the list Vally has provided is invaluable.
As recommended by the others, I also now give Charlie Denamarin to cleanse his liver from all the meds. And he gets probiotic powder in his food to help with tummy issues. Diet is now white fish, potato, and sweet potatoes.
Charlie and I wish you and Bean great progress in healing from this disease. Please keep posting!
Ramona .. look into replacing the probiotic powder with Goats Milk Kefir. My natural food store carries it so that’s where I purchase, It’s one of the best sources of Probiotics for your dog. Very Very good because it’s got live probiotics . Flossie gets it 3 times a day total of 3 tablespoons a day. She loves it. Also in addition to the Denamarin for his liver you can also give Milk Thistle. Flossies 55lbs . She gets 300 mg a day so 2 – 150 mg capsules a day. Lastly if Beans doesn’t like Sweet Potato .. Canned pumpkin .. is another good thing for sick tummy. That’s what we have used all along. Flossie loves pumpkin. Even all these months later it’s just a staple to her diet daily because she likes it and it’s easy to give her supplements in. You can’t stick her pills in her mouth or she bites and doesn’t let go .. So we put pumpkin on a fork put the pills in it and she eats right off the fork . I’ve never had a dog that bites when you try to give pills by hand my other 2 dogs you could stick your hand down their throat but not Flossie she latches on and once with that was enough ..LOL ! Anyhow hope those few things might help you out. Otherwise sounds like you are doing an amazing job being and amazing dog mom !
Hi all,
Sorry to take so long to get back.
We started Bean on the antibiotics (doxycycline) and she will be going for more blood work in the next couple days; her first prescriptions are running low and we’re hoping to take her off the cyclosporine soon if everything looks good, but the vet mentioned that we may have to wait depending on how her WBC count is and if she has an infection.
We noticed that her poops are a little softer at night, vet said it may be due to the cyclosporine, so I give her a bit of sweet potato now and then as treats and we grabbed a couple cans of pumpkin to work into her food now and then. She’s not having diarrhoea so we’re not too worried in that respect.
Because we switched vets I am waiting on our old vet to send me all of her records. I only have her original (Dec 8) and second (Dec 13) blood work results on my computer and not the last two that were done.
Good Morning Nicole,
Glad to hear the sweet potato and pumpkin are both helping bean. Flossies stools got loose too I can’t remember after which drug but the pumpkin worked like a charm to fix that problem.
I would say don’t rush coming off the cyclosporine. This coming from the mom who constantly asked when she could come off every drug. I was just so so worried about the side effects of the drugs but then there was the double edge sword of what would her body do if we took her off and then had to start all over again if her body started going backwards. Between the gals here on Second Chances and our Emergency Vet who was a specialist in Internal Medicine and had treated numerous AIHA dogs ..we did our level best to gather as much info as we could I would write down 10- 12 questions and ask her why this, how come that, couldn’t we try this, they say this works what do you think..etc and she answered any and all. Anyhow we only disagreed with her thoughts once. All this to say she and the vet we currently have after moving (they still work together by phone) both said that Flossie should stay on Cyclosporine until she had a long period of time at a normal PCV . So all together Flossie was on it from week 6 until 3 weeks ago which would be a total of 5-1/2 months. In that time she started out on a dose for her weight and then about 3 months ago they started slowly decreasing how many times a week she had it until finally we were down to 1 pill every other2 days .. Now she is off all meds and having blood tests every 2 weeks to make sure PCV stays solid. The cyclosporine is your friend with this disease.. so don’t be afraid to allow bean to continue on it until at a safe place. Looking forward to hearing what next PCV is. Keep up the Good work !
Nicole, couldn’t agree more with Sara.
In most cases, it’s the prednisone which is reduced first as it has the most side effects, the cyclosporine is usually the last one to be dropped. Shame because cost-wise as it’s one of the most expensive.
I really do agree, don’t rush the reductions. It’s better dealing with the medicine than dealing with a relapse.
Let us know how Bean goes on his next checkup.
Vally & Bingo
![bingo-14-5_1200x775](https://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/wp-content/gallery/aiha-dogs_2/bingo-14-5_1200x775.jpg "Vally\'s Bingo \\"Smile\\"")
![Brigitte_Cleo_Ripley_Enzo_4](https://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/wp-content/gallery/aiha-dogs_2/Brigitte_Cleo_Ripley_Enzo_4.jpg "Brigitte\'s Cleo, Ripley, Enzo and Guest \\"Rockin\\"")
