 Awareness & Fund Raising Initiative |
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Awareness & Fund Raising Initiative |
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When a dog is diagnosed with autoimmune hemolytic anemia/immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, its owner/caregiver is seldom prepared for dealing with such a serious life-threating illness. Many times their first question will be, what can I expect in terms of survival and quality of life for my dog.
The "Success Stories" page is presented in order to answer those questions. We hope to show owner/caregivers whose dogs have recently been diagnosed with autoimmune hemolytic anemia/immune-mediated hemolytic anemia that there is indeed hope. Over the coming months we will feature dogs who have been diagnosed with this disease and who are now living normal lives. Many of them have had no reoccurrence of the disease whatsoever. I hope you will be encouraged and filled with hope as you read these stories. I plan to change the stories on a monthly basis, so stop back often.
Casper is a 6 year old neutered male Miniature American Eskimo Dog owned by Leslie of Santa Clara, CA. Casper was diagnosed with Evans Syndrome (immune-mediated hemolytic anemia and immune-mediated thrombocytopenia occurring at the same time) on February 19, 2006.
When Leslie was asked to comment on the symptoms Casper displayed prior to his Evans Syndrome diagnosis she replied, “Now that I look back on everything, it appears Casper’s illness came on over an extended period of time. After Casper received a Bordetella vaccination and had his teeth cleaned in November, 2005 he was never the same. Prior to these procedures, in the morning after he urinated and had a bowel movement, he would want to play but after them he would go back to his bed. Other then this morning tiredness, Casper was his usual hyperactive self. In December 2005, I occasionally noticed a red spot on Casper’s belly which would disappear after an hour or so. At this point, he was still active and normal. Then on January 18, 2006 I found dozens of red spots and bruising on Casper’s thighs and belly. The veterinarian said she had not seen anything like this before and concluded it must be allergies. She prescribed antibiotics for two weeks and Casper seemed fine except his stool was turning orange.
"On February 19, 2006 Casper suddenly collapsed while playing ball. After a few seconds, he got back up and wanted to play again, but we made him rest the remainder of the day. That night, when he started up the stairs to go to bed, he collapsed again. After we saw his gums were white, we took him to the veterinary ER where the veterinarian on duty diagnosed Casper with Evans Syndrome and immediately started treatment. Within hours Casper’s PCV dropped to 8 and his platelet count fell to 7,000. The veterinarian told us Casper was in need of a blood transfusion and referred us to a veterinary internal medicine specialist. Over the next few days, Casper received 3 blood transfusions, 1 Oxyglobin infusion, 2 doses of Human Immunoglobulin and was started on 100 mg Neoral, 20mg prednisone, 5mg Pepcid and 25mg Metronidazole. When Casper’s PCV and platelets dropped after the transfusions, the veterinarians recommended that he be put to sleep. Casper was so weak that he could not even sit up or eat but still he would not give up. After nine days of hospitalization Casper’s PCV and platelets stabilized and he was able to go home. Several months later he was weaned off all medications because he had developed Cushings disease.
”On April 9, 2007 Casper jumped onto the bed and fainted. After seeing his white gums, we took him to the ER, where he was diagnosed with an Evans Syndrome relapse. He was given one dose of Human Immunoglobulin and was again started on Neoral, prednisone, Pepcid and Metronidazole as well as Imuran. Casper was released from the veterinary hospital the next day on the following medications: 100 mg Neoral, 20 mg prednisone, 25 mg Imuran, 10mg Pepcid and 25mg Metronidazole. As Casper’s PCV and platelets rose, we slowly reduced his medications.”
When Leslie was asked to comment on the current state of Casper’s health she replied, “Casper is doing well and continues to show a love of life that is just inspiring. His most recent blood work on March 24, 2008, revealed a PCV of 45 and a platelet count of 400,000. Because of the fact that Casper relapsed with Evan’s Syndrome, he remains on 2.5 mg prednisone, 25 mg Imuran and 10 mg Pepcid daily. He will probably remain on these medications the rest of his life to prevent further relapses. Even at his lowest point, Casper kept his happy disposition. Now, to look at him, you can hardly tell he has ever been sick a day in his life. Although, our life has not been the same since Casper's illness, we try to make the most of it and we both have adjusted to Casper’s new limitations. He used to be a super hyper dog but he now tires more easily and spends the majority of the his time indoors where he happily runs around and plays with his toys. Casper makes us smile everyday with his many antics. Although Casper loves to meet people and other dogs, we are very careful where we take him, since he can no longer have any vaccinations, flea or heartworm preventatives. It is important for us to make sure the dogs he meets are healthy and will not be carriers of any diseases. We are so thankful for each day that we have Casper with us. He brings such happiness to everyone he meets and is an inspiration to all those who know what he has been through. He is a testament to the power of prayer. We are forever grateful for the multitude of people who prayed for him to get better.”
Editor’s Note:
To earn additional income to help pay Casper’s veterinary expenses, Leslie opened Casper N Caboodle, an online store selling dog themed shirts and gift items. Since Leslie wanted to help find answers to the many questions that surround AIHA/IMHA, she also created a special section in the store to sell items dedicated to AIHA/IMHA with all commissions going to the Meisha’s Hope AIHA/IMHA Fund #338 at Morris Animal Foundation. To purchase some of the Casper N Caboodle AIHA/IMHA merchandise for yourself and help in the fight against AIHA/IMHA at the same time Click Here
The Meisha's Hope Award
Do you have a wonderful veterinarian who has gone beyond the call of duty in treating your AIHA/IMHA dog? If so nominate him or her for the 2008 Meisha's Hope Award. To learn more Click Here
New!! To read about the winner of the 2007 Meisha’s Hope Award and the Honorable Mention Nominees Click Here
To read about the winner of the 2006 Meisha’s Hope Award and the Honorable Mention Nominees Click Here
Editor's Notes
To view more Success Stories, click below to visit the Success Stories archives.
If you have a dog or know of a dog who has survived AIHA/IMHA for at least one year and you would like their story told on this page please email me at jdickson@cloudnet.comBack to TOP of page All contents on this site Copyright © 1998 - 2008 Joanne Dickson. All rights reserved.