PREVIOUS SUCCESS STORIES

October 1998

Blaze

Ausbund’s Blaze of Glory SchH I, AD, CDX, NA or "Blaze", is a 7 ½ year old female Rottweiler owned by Janice of Amarillo, Texas. Blaze was diagnosed with autoimmune hemolytic anemia on Nov. 10, 1993.

Blaze had been working in Schutzund and began to refuse the jumps required to retrieve. Her activity level was also down a bit but not enough for her owner Janice to be aware of a problem. As Janice was cleaning Blazes’ teeth to take her to a show on Halloween weekend, she noticed the gums were a bit pale. Janice and Blaze went to the show and Blaze was entrusted with a professional handler who was taking her on to another show. Blaze became acutely ill at the home of the handler. He took her to the veterinarian who thought she had pancreatitis from a change in diet. Blaze was taken to another veterinarian for blood work and it was this doctor who diagnosed the AIHA. Blazes’ PCV at the time of diagnosis was 10.

Blaze was started on 120 mg of prednisone (60 mg twice a day) and 400mg Ampicillin daily. She was transfused 2 days after diagnosis and her PCV rose to 20. The prednisone treatment continued at decreasing dosages until Blaze was weaned off it in January of 1994. Her diet was supplemented with vitamins (especially C and E) and rare liver every other day. Blaze has not had a reoccurrence of the disease since the initial episode and is currently on no medication whatsoever. She receives her vaccinations on a regular basis and takes the Heartgard + monthly heartworm prevention.

According to Janice, "Blaze currently seems to be extremely healthy for her age. She is a very active working type of dog. After she recovered from the acute stages of the disease she returned to that very active lifestyle. All of her titles were earned after recovery. She went back to the show ring and is pointed in conformation, and v-rated. She is currently working in AKC Utility and Agility, going to classes several night a week and to shows on weekends."

Blaze Update, October 2001

When Janice was asked to provide an update on Blaze, she responded with the following comments.

"Blaze is now 10 ½ years old and looking great. All of her lab work checked out perfectly at the end of September 2001 . She went on to earn a Utility dog title and is a registered Therapy dog. Now she enjoys the good retired life of being just my companion. At the present time she takes no medications except Heartgard and an occasional Rimadyl for a pinched nerve problem in her cervical neck area which occasionally flares up. I do not like to vaccinate her any more for fear of the AIHA being reactivated, though I did give her a Rabies Vaccination in May 2001. She had not had one in 3 years. I hope anyone who has an AIHA dog and reads Blaze's story will gain encouragement from it and may be able to glean some information to help them in their battle to save their companion."

November 1998

Melanie

Melanie, an 8 year old pure bred Springer Spaniel is owned by Meg of Bethel Park, PA. Melanie, also affectionately known as "Mellie" or "Mells" by her friends and family was diagnosed with AIHA on September 20, 1997, just weeks after her 7th birthday.

Meg became very concerned when she was unable to awaken Melanie from a nap. Meg also noticed that Melanie was lethargic and had lost her appetite. Upon further inspection, she noticed pale gums and eyelids. Melanie was taken to the veterinarian where she was diagnosed with AIHA. Her PCV at the time of diagnosis was 20.

Melanie was hospitalized for 48 hours, during which time she was given massive doses of IV prednisone and antibiotics. Melanie was discharged from the hospital on September 22, 1997. When she came home she was on 40 mg prednisone (20 mg twice a day) and antibiotics. Melanie returned to the clinic for blood work ups every 3 days for the first 2 weeks, then every week for the next month and then monthly for several more months. During this time she was gradually weaned off the prednisone. At the current time Melanie is on a 3 month schedule for checkups and blood work. She is currently on no medication for the AIHA whatsoever. Melanie’s veterinarian agrees that vaccines MAY play a role in overloading the immune system and thus Melanie will be monitored closely when she is due for shots. The only medication Melanie is currently on is the Heartgard once a month chewable heartworm preventative. Melanie is currently enjoying excellent health and has had no reoccurrence of the disease since the initial episode. At her last check up on Sept. 5, 1998 Melanie had a PCV of 49. She has returned to the active lifestyle she had enjoyed prior to the onset of the illness.

Melanie Update, October 2001

When Meg was asked to provide an update on Melanie, she responded with the following comments.

"Melanie woke on January 2, 2000, with bloody lip folds. On closer examination, we saw petechiae on her gums and mucus membranes. She was hospitalized that day with acute thrombocytopenia after blood work revealed a platelet count of 13,000 (most veterinary laboratories state that a normal platelet count ranges from 200,000 to 500,000.) Melanie's PCV count was in the low-normal range. She was immediately started on prednisone. Melanie was discharged from the hospital three days later, after her platelet count rose to 68,000 (PCV was 36), on 50 mg of prednisone twice a day, and misoprostol four times a day to protect her stomach from the high dose of prednisone.

About ten days after her discharge, Melanie developed a severe dermatitis across the major portion of her back. The infection was severe, and she was treated with Cephalexin. The infection was likely the result of her suppressed immune system. These skin infections continue to plague Melanie, but they are now less severe.

Melanie did well for a few weeks, and her platelet count rose steadily. But on January 25, her blood work revealed a lower platelet count. Fearing a crash, our vet, recommended we continue prednisone and add Imuran, to suppress the immune system. A few days later, her platelets were back up. Melanie did well on the combination of prednisone and Imuran for the next nine months. The doses varied, as we weaned her off prednisone over those nine months. Prednisone was stopped completely in the fall, though we kept her on a small dose of Imuran.

On October 11, 2000, routine blood work revealed a sharp drop in platelets. Retests every three days continued to show dropping platelets. On October 24, her platelets had dropped to 133,000, so Imuran was increased to 50 mg a day, and prednisone was restarted. We were referred to a clinic in Columbus, Ohio, for a bone marrow biopsy. On October 30, Melanie was seen by a veterinarian at the Columbus clinic who specializes in hematology. She was given a complete physical examination, as well as bone marrow biopsy, EKG (since a rapid heart beat was detected), ultrasound, and liver biopsy. Initial blood work revealed decent platelets and red blood cells. Her liver looked a little enlarged, but this was attributed to the long-term use of steroids. The results of the bone marrow biopsy would not be available for 5-7 days. Of primary concern to the doctor was Melanie's rapid heart rate, which we had never noticed before and attributed it to the stress of travel and the examinations. We were discharged with instructions to keep Melanie on prednisone and Imuran, and she was also given something for her recently developed diarrhea. It was suggested we follow-up the rapid heart rate with our regular veterinarian and, if necessary, return to Columbus for a cardio work-up.

The following week, we received the results of the bone marrow biopsy. It revealed Melanie was no longer producing red blood cells. The specialist could not explain the conflicting results between the bone marrow biopsy and the peripheral blood work done that same day, which had shown nothing remarkable about the platelets or red blood cells.

Melanie's rapid heart beat became a big concern. On the least bit of exertion, Melanie was out of breath, panting. Her heart would race for hours at a time, and then slow to normal, and then race again for hours. We tried not to excite her.

Blood work done on November 17, 2000 at our regular clinic showed the PCV was in fact dropping, while the platelets were normal. The hematology specialist consulted with our regular veterinarian and suggested we stop giving Melanie Imuran. After decreasing the Imuran dosage for about two weeks, Melanie was taken off the drug. Almost immediately, her platelets went up, as did her PCV. Her rapid heart beat also resolved.

On January 9, 2001, Melanie had routine blood work that revealed platelets at 200,000 and a PCV of 39-very good indeed for a dog that only weeks ago was in crisis. We left the clinic elated. On January 10,-the very next morning-Melanie could not lift her head and could barely walk. Her breathing was shallow and fast. We took her to the clinic, where she was found to have a temperature of 106 and an extremely high white blood cell count. A viral infection was suspected. She was hospitalized again for three days, during which time she was extremely ill, and we were told, again, that she might not survive. She responded by the third day to antibiotics and was sent home. After two days at home, she was acting normally and doing well.

Since January 18, 2001, Melanie has been doing very well. She had blood work done weekly for several months, then biweekly for several months, then every three weeks for a while, and now we take her every five to six weeks. The numbers have all been good. The prednisone was slowly lowered until it got to 5 mg a day. Melanie continues on that 5 mg per day dosage at the present time. Our veterinarian believes the benefits she gets from the steroid outweigh the risks at this point in her life. On our veterinarian's advice, we have decided NOT to vaccinate Melanie any more, not even for Rabies. Melanie went for over a year without a major dermatitis breakout, but just a few weeks ago, several pustules appeared, and she has been taking a few rounds of antibiotics to keep this at bay. At 11 years of age, Melanie continues to be a very happy dog who is quite playful and impish."

Melanie Update, April 2004

I recently received the following Melanie update from Meg:

"In November 2002, our veterinarian detected a heart murmur in Melanie and suggested we take her to a specialist at MedVet in Columbus, Ohio. On a routine chest x-ray, a mass was found on her liver. Exploratory surgery revealed that most of her liver was in fact involved; biopsies confirmed the diagnosis of liver cancer. Melanie was now 12 years old, and we just could not justify putting her through chemotherapy and the numerous trips to the vet, especially when there was little hope for success and considering her already compromised immune system (which, ironically, seemed to be stabilized). We decided to let her live out the rest of her days naturally, in peace, at our home, with those she loved. She was denied nothing.

Melanie's health did decline, and on February 26, 2003, she was euthanized at our home. After our vet had removed her body from our home, my husband and I retired to our sunroom and sat together quietly, stunned at how empty the house now seemed. We heard a crash off the roof above us and knew that Melanie's spirit had finally been set free-free of illness, pain, and fear-and she was on her way to the Rainbow Bridge, to wait for our arrival.

We miss her terribly. I do not know what her suffering was meant to teach us-perhaps courage, patience or the fact that one cannot control all things-and I do not know if we will ever get over our loss. We met wonderful people along the way, and we witnessed numerous gentle acts of kindness from both strangers and friends. And for that, I am grateful.

'I trust that everything happens for a reason, even when we're not wise enough to see it.'
-Oprah Winfrey"

December 1998

Gretel

Gretel is a 9 year old female German Shepherd owned by Jose of San Juan, Puerto Rico. She was diagnosed with autoimmune hemolytic anemia on September 22, 1993 at the age of 3 years and 7 months. In Gretel’s case the disease manifested itself gradually over a period of 4 to 5 months. Gretel’s symptoms included weight loss, waning appetite, increased panting, dark tongue, premature tiring, sporadic vomiting and excessive shedding.

Upon presentation the veterinarian performed a battery of tests which included abdominal x-rays, thyroid function, full blood panel and CBC in addition to the clinical examination. Based on these tests probable diagnosis included AIHA. It was decided that an exploratory surgery was needed to determine the condition of the spleen which appeared somewhat enlarged in the x-rays. This surgery was performed within one week of the preliminary work-up and confirmed splenomegaly (enlargement of the spleen)—about three times the normal size and about ten times the normal weight. A splenectomy was then performed. Gretel had a speedy recovery with no complications. Post operative tests included full hematology, immunology, histopathology, igA, another blood panel and CBC. The end result of this battery of tests was a confirmation of the diagnosis of AIHA. Gretel received one pint of blood during surgery. Post operative drugs included amoxicillin, NSAID’s and megadoses of prednisone. She also received weekly injections of the anabolic steroid Winstrol until January of ’94. The veterinarian was unable to determine if the AIHA induced the splenomegaly or viceversa. The prednisone was gradually reduced until it reached a level of 5 mg eod. Gretel continues on that dosage at the present time. In addition to the maintenance dose of prednisone, Gretel also takes 400mcg Folic acid and 500 mg of Vitamin C daily. She also takes a vitamin complex composed of among another things, 100 mg each of Vitamins B-1, B-2 B-6, Niacin and 100mcg B-12 eod. In addition to this Gretel takes 25 mg of Rimadyl for arthritis in the AM on weekdays only. The package insert with Rimadyl warns against the concomitant use of the drug with corticosteriods. Since Gretel takes prednisone, the decision to administer both was made after the most critical evaluation of her condition and needs. Fortunately, the very low dose of prednisone has made the use of both drugs possible for her continued benefit. Gretel receives semi-annual full blood panels and CBC’s every one to two months. Until last September she took the Filaribits Plus for heartworm protection but on the advice of the veterinarian has switched to the Heartgard plus. Gretel receives the usual full course of vaccines on an annual basis and has had no ill effects from them. Frontline Top Spot is used on a monthly basis for tick protection.

Gretel continues to live a normal life. She is playful, alert and spoiled according to her owner Jose. She is also very affectionate and loving. The disease did not change her personality at any time. Jose attributes Gretel’s recovery to an outstanding vet who explained the disease from A to Z and made the alternatives and consequences known.

Gretel Update, March 2001

When Jose, Gretel's owner, was asked for an update on her condition, he replied with the following comments.

"On May 31, 1999 I gave in to the vet's desires to have Gretel undergo a geriatric examination. Blood panel results were good taking into consideration the AIHA. EKG was normal as were the other tests including hepatic and renal functions. However, the abdominal sonogram showed a bladder stone approximately 14 mm x 6 mm. Urinalysis corroborated the presence of the stone with a ph leaning on the alkaline side and slight turbidity.

In mid June, Gretel was put on Hill's Prescription Diet s/d in hopes that the stone would dissolve. Prednisolone, and Rimadyl (for her hind quarters), the only two medications she was taking with success, albeit the risk of the two being administered concomitantly, were withdrawn so as not to mask results of further testing for the bladder stone. Soon the withdrawal of Rimadyl began to be noticeable until by the end of the third week, she was having problems coming up the stairs.

By mid August we had another sonogram to see how the stone dissolution was coming along. Much to everybody's bewilderment the stone had increased in size by 1 mm. Gretel was put back on her normal diet and re-introduced first to Prednisolone at the rate she was taking before (5 mg on alternate days). Rimadyl was started on the following week at the same rate as before (12.5 mg on alternate days other than the Prednisolone and none during weekends). Within a couple of days Gretel started to vomit and have bloody diarrhea. Later she started having blood tinges in the vomit. All medication was withdrawn at the first symptoms but she continued to have these bloody episodes for about one week. Supportive treatment was instituted with Hills Prescription Diet i/d, antacid and sucralfate to heal the offended tissues. We thought that this was going to be the end, so much so that we had a talk with the veterinarian to tell him that we had reached the decision to let nature take its course. However, by September 1st Gretel was pulling out of the crisis and the bloody discharges had stopped. She weighed 80 pounds when the crisis started and now she was down to 74 pounds. Part of this weight loss was attributable to retained fluids caused by the Prednisolone which had now been discontinued.

On September 3, 1999 we took Gretel to my former Air National Guard Chaplain, a Franciscan priest, to have him administer the Blessing of the Animals to her. She could hardly walk by herself and by this time I had gotten a rear quarters harness to help her about. Only her indomitable spirit kept her going just as it had pulled her through at the onset of AIHA. September and October, saw her general condition improving. By November she did not need the harness to go about.

Blood panels were performed every three months and the results were increasingly encouraging. By November 2000 all values on the panel were within the normal range. Gretel currently takes 750 mg of Vitamin C daily to keep her urine on the acidic side. For the last three months she has been taking "Fresh Factors" tablets which contain 200 mg of chondroitin plus kelp, yeast, bee pollen, liver and biotin. At this time I can not attest to the efficacy or beneficial effect of either of the two. Also, very infrequently, when she shows increased discomfort I give her a buffered aspirin with her morning meal. Her next blood panel will be in June. I can gratefully say that Gretel is as happy, playful, alert, and spoiled as she has ever been. Her only handicap is her hind quarters and she copes with that admirably well."

January 1999

Benji

Benji is an 8 ½ year old terrier/mix, neutered male owned by Rayelene and Harvey of Ann Arbor Michigan. He was diagnosed with autoimmune hemolytic anemia on August 19, 1994 at the age of 4 ½.

Benji’s case of AIHA came on quickly, within a period of 1-2 days. His symptoms consisted of extreme weakness and loss of strength as well as loss of appetite. Treatment at the time of presentation consisted of corticosteriods (prednisone), cyclophosphamide, a blood transfusion and IV fluids. Five days after diagnosis on August 24, l994, Benji was referred to a specialist.

On presentation to the specialist, Benji’s PCV had dropped to 9. A physical examination revealed Benji was in good body condition, mildly depressed, and adequately hydrated with a temperature of 101.1 F, a heart rate of 160/min, respiratory rate of 32/min., mucous membranes white/icteric and body weight of 32.4 pounds. He was weak but could stand and walk. Abdominal x-rays showed enlargement of the liver and spleen. CBC, chemistry profile, ANA, platelet count and reticulocyte count were performed. Benji was treated with continued prednisone, heparin and another whole blood transfusion, followed by IV fluids. The following day he was much more alert and was eating. Benji continued to improve and was released from the clinic on August 27, 1994, three days after he was admitted. An in-house CBC performed that day revealed a PCV of 23 with a normal white blood cell and platelet counts. Rayelene was instructed to give Benji 30 mg of prednisone BID (twice a day) and to begin imuran 25 mg SID ( once a day). She was also advised to change Benji’s heartworm preventative to Heartgard as her specialist has seen Interceptor exacerbate immune-mediated diseases. Benji was very gradually weaned off the prednisone over a period of many many months. He continues on 25 mg of imuran every 5th day. Benji sees his vet for check ups and blood counts every 6 months and is currently in excellent health. His owner, Rayelene, describes Benji as a happy dog with an outgoing personality, who is very energetic and alert. Benji enjoys long walks and summer camping trips with his family.

Benji Update, October 2001

When Rayelene was asked to provide an update on Benji, she responded with the following comments.

"Benji is now 11 and doing real well. He has had no AIHA relapses. His last PCV of 44.5 was taken in October, 2000. He is still on Imuran at a dosage of 25 mg every 5th day. His appetite is good, especially when I mix in a bit of human food. He could probably stand to lose a few pounds, but that runs in the family. Benji is showing signs of getting older, but he remains strong and energetic, especially when it is time for a walk. He is usually pulling the whole way which is why Harvey (my husband) holds the leash. Harvey also holds the leash for our other dog Daisy when we are walking. Benji & Daisy are referred to as our "doggie plow team". Harvey is often asked who is taking whom for a walk."

Benji Update, April 2004

I recently received the following email from Rayelene:

"Over the past few years, Benji gradually lost weight, but always had a good appetite until 6 or 7 months ago. He seemed to want to eat, but then refused food like chicken, beef, etc. Eventually he lost half his body weight. Since Benji had surgery for kidney stones several years ago, he had been on a special diet for that, as well.

Benji was diagnosed with Cushing's Disease, however, his adrenal glands were clear so it was suspected he had a tumor growing on his pituitary gland that was pressing against the part of the brain that controlled appetite. He also had an abscessed tooth but that didn't seem to bother him. In addition, blood work showed his organs were shutting down. Before he got worse, we decided it was time to let him go. Benji was euthanized on Feb. 28, 2004.

We brought Benji home from the Humane Society in Dec. 1990, when he was about 10 months old. He immediately took to our 10 year old deaf Cockapoo. The first few months they played together constantly. He was an outgoing dog and loved people and kids. In May 1994, I'm sure, he had his first bout with AIHA. A trip to the vet and medication seemed to clear up symptoms. At that time, x-rays showed he had a couple dozen birdshot pellets in him! What a life he must have had before we adopted him!

To me, he was Mr. B., my Big, Beautiful Benji and to my husband he was Buddy. We miss him. No longer will I chase him out of my flower bed in the spring where he liked to lie in the sun. He loved to be outdoors, but the last couple of years he was content to be in more and look out the window--even when we went camping. The last 6 summers we spent a month up north and our daily walks included him getting a drink from Lake Superior. This summer we'll still take our walk to the lake and recall how he loved to drink the cold water and knew how to lift his head as the waves rolled in, to avoid getting splashed."

February 1999

Tigger

Tigger is a nine year old neutered male miniature Poodle owned by Caren of Oxnard California. Tigger was diagnosed with autoimmune hemolytic anemia on November 9, 1991 when he was 2 years of age. Caren reports that "Tigger became deathly ill very very quickly." He exhibited extreme weakness and lethargy, to the point of falling down when Caren was putting on his leash for a walk. One of Tigger’s other symptoms was loss of appetite.

Upon presentation to the veterinarian Tigger had a temperature of 103. It was determined after blood tests that Tigger had a white blood count of 19.4, red blood cells of 3.9, hemoglobin of 9.5 and PCV of 27. Tigger also tested Coombs positive and had a reticulocyte count of 4.9. Tigger’s veterinarian prescribed the following medications for the treatment of the AIHA: prednisone at 1mg/lb BID (twice a day), tagamet, soloxine ( thyroid medication) and Imuran. Only 8 days after diagnosis, on Nov. 19th Tigger’s chart shows that he was eating well and feeling better. Tigger’s chart also indicates the plan was to take Tigger off the prednisone first and then taper off the Imuran after 10-14 days. Tigger continued to improve and by January 17, 1992 was off all medication except for the soloxine. Tigger was later taken off the soloxine but by March 7, 1992 he was losing his hair and acting listless so his vet put him back on the soloxine at 0.2 mg twice a day. Later the dosage was reduced to 0.2 mg once a day and Tigger remains on that soloxine dosage at the present time. When Caren was asked if the vet had given her a possible cause for the disease she replied " No cause was indicated to me until just recently, when they told me they think maybe its related to the thyroid, because he has stayed in remission for so long and is still on the thyroid medication."

Tigger is currently in excellent health. His owner Caren describes Tigger in the following manner. " He is very mild and sweet natured although he’s also playful. He’s extremely affectionate and loving. He calmed down a lot after his illness." Tigger receives no regularly scheduled blood tests. He has vaccinations on a regular schedule; rabies every 3 years and DHLPPC once a year. Advantage flea protection is used once a month after grooming and this year for the first time Tigger was started on Heartgard for heartworm protection.

Tigger Update, October 2001

When Caren was asked to provide an update on Tigger, she responded with the following comments.

"Tigger is now almost 13 years old. He continues to have the active, bouncy nature that got him his name. He continues to take Soloxine, and we have had to add Enacard as his heart is slightly enlarged. His weight is more than it should be, because of the Soloxine, but his appetite is excellent and his energy and vitality remain that of a much younger dog. All in all, the vet tells us we can expect to have six or seven more years with him, as the happy healthy dog he's become."

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