PREVIOUS SUCCESS STORIES
September 2009
Harley Joe
Harley Joe is a 10 year old neutered male Shih-Tzu owned by Melanie and David of Milan, IN. Harley was diagnosed with immune-mediated hemolytic anemia on March 23, 2008.
When Melanie was asked to comment on Harley’s symptoms prior to his IMHA diagnosis she replied, “Before Harley’s illness he was playful and energetic. He loved to play with his squeaky toys as well go outside to hang out with us and our other dogs. Harley always wanted up on your lap and was constantly snapping at our cat to show him who’s boss. He would come in the kitchen, when I was cooking, to be on ‘clean-up duty’, so he could catch any little crumb that fell to the floor. It literally seemed like all this changed overnight. One day he seemed fine, the next day he appeared lazy, tired and had no appetite or interest in anything! Typically, we wouldn’t have been so alarmed at the laziness, because he did tend to love his naps, but when he wouldn’t eat, we became concerned. Over the next three days things got progressively worse to the point where Harley would not even raise his head to look at us. We couldn’t tempt his appetite with anything and he stopped drinking water as well. He also had extremely pale gums and skin.
”Easter morning, March 23, 2008, we took Harley to the Emergency Veterinary Hospital since our regular veterinarian was closed for the day. After blood work was completed, we were told that Harley’s PCV was 23. Harley was diagnosed with IMHA, immediately started on prednisone and hospitalized overnight. His PCV continued to drop and was 18 by the next morning. When we arrived to take him home that day, he seemed even worse than the day before. We were told that we had a very sick dog, and that the next few days would tell the tale as to whether he would pull through or not. We took Harley to our regular veterinarian, basically for a second opinion, since we were so confused about what we had been told at the emergency clinic. Our regular veterinarian agreed that it was IMHA, and told us we had a long road ahead. Harley’s PCV at that time was back to 23. We were sent home with some high-protein canned food and a bag full of plastic syringes, and told to literally force feed Harley to get him to eat and drink. We were also told we needed to get some nourishment in Harley to ‘coat his belly’ for all the medication he was taking which at this time included 5 mg of Prednisone, 5 mg of Famotidine and ¼ of a 50 mg Azathioprine tablet per day.
”Blood work done four days later indicated Harley’s PCV had risen to 25. This was a promising sign especially since he had started to eat on his own that day. By April 27, 2008 Harley’s PCV had risen to 45. We started to gradually reduce his medications until they were completely discontinued several months later.”
When Melanie was asked to comment on the current state of Harley’s heath, she replied, “Harley is doing wonderful. His PCV at this last blood check was 50.88. He currently takes no medication for the treatment of IMHA and is no longer being vaccinated at the recommendation of our veterinarian. He shows no signs of IMHA, has a great appetite, and is very alert and spunky. Harley actually seems to have more spunk and energy than before his illness! He plays a lot more, and when he’s outside with his ‘siblings’ he loves to trail around behind them, sniffing everything he comes across. He even gets his Shih-Tzu attitude when it’s time to come in, and he’s not ready yet. Harley acts like a puppy again and it is a joy to see him so young at heart. He even chases the cat again. We continue to keep a close eye on him for any changes to his personality and eating habits, but are truly thankful for each and every day that he remains free from IMHA. We were literally blindsided by this disease, through confusion, sadness and apprehension, but after reading the Success Stories on the Meisha’s Hope Web site, we found a glimmer of hope for Harley. We are so grateful that we can now provide hope and encouragement to other dog owner/caregivers who have dogs diagnosed with AIHA/IMHA. We want them to know there is Hope for their dogs to have a complete recovery from this disease.”
October 2009
Beau
Beau is a 6 year old Tricolor neutered male Border Collie owned by John and Fran of Bedfordshire, United Kingdom. Beau was diagnosed with immune mediated hemolytic anemia on October 23, 2007.
When John was asked to comment on Beau’s symptoms prior to his IMHA diagnosis, he relied, “On October 22, 2007 Beau did not appear to be his usual energetic self and had no appetite. The next morning, when he wouldn’t eat breakfast and could not summon up energy for a run, I called the veterinarian and was advised to bring Beau in that afternoon. When we arrived at the veterinary clinic Beau had a very high temperature. Blood work and other testing was done and Beau was hospitalized overnight. The next day Beau was diagnosed with IMHA. His Coombs test was positive and he had a PCV of 20 which later dropped to 18. I was told that if Beau’s PCV dropped to 15, we might have to consider a blood transfusion. Beau was started on 75 mg prednisolone per day as well as ranitidine to protect the lining of his stomach and I was allowed to take him home that day. When I took Beau back to the veterinarian two days later for a checkup and blood work his PCV remained the same as it had been at the time of his hospital discharge. Three days later things seemed more hopeful when Beau’s PCV climbed to 25. Blood testing on November 2 revealed that Beau’s PCV was 35. We were beginning to approach the low end of the normal range and Beau was also starting to get some of his energy back. When Beau’s PCV climbed 2 more points to 37 on November 6, the prednisolone was lowered to 50 mg per day. Over the next several months, as Beau’s PCV continued to rise, we slowly lowered the prednisolone. By April 8, 2008 Beau had a PCV of 41 and his prednisolone dosage was down to 5 mg every other day. Beau’s tail had gotten distinctly thin as a result of hair loss caused by the medication but our veterinarian assured us that this hair would grow back providing we did not have to go back on high doses of steroids.
”Over the summer months in 2008 we traveled to France and Scotland and Beau continued to do well. Beau saw his veterinarian on August 26 for his Rabies booster shot and his PCV at that time was 44. We visited the vet again on October 5 to see if the rabies booster had caused the IMHA to kick in again. The good news was it had not. Beau’s PCV had remained stable at 44, so the dosage of prednisolone was reduced to 1mg every 2 days. By this time we had built Beau’s exercise routine back up to 6 miles every day and had raised the pace a bit as well. By the end of September, 2008 we were managing a consistent 7mph + over distance.”
When John was asked to comment on the current state of Beau’s health he replied, “Beau’s health is very good. His prednisolone was discontinued in mid August, 2009. Blood testing on August 28, 2009 indicated Beau’s PCV was remaining stable at 44. Beau runs between 4-10 miles per day. His coat is now as full as it was prior to his IMHA diagnosis and he has lost some of the weight he gained as a result of the steroid usage. We do blood checks every 6-8 weeks. In addition, we check the colour of Beau’s gums every few days and monitor his appetite and energy levels. Beau is back to being the lively dog he was prior to his IMHA diagnosis and enjoys life to the fullest.”
November 2009
Tiggs
Tiggs (AKA Tigger) is a 5 ½ year old neutered male pit bull mix owned by Melissa and Adam of Salt Lake City, UT. Tiggs was diagnosed with autoimmune hemolytic anemia on July 16, 2008.
When Melissa was asked to comment on Tiggs symptoms prior to his AIHA diagnosis she replied, “Tiggs has always been a happy, friendly dog. He has a huge smile, and loves every person and dog he meets. You always know how happy he is because not only is his smile gigantic, but his tail is curled into what I call a 'cheerio' and it's always wagging. When Tiggs became ill, I knew something was wrong because he hid in the corner and had extreme fatigue to the point where he slept excessively and would not play with his favorite ball. No matter what food I tried to entice him with, he would not eat and he didn’t get excited about going for a walk. I knew it was serious when Tiggs couldn't walk to the neighbor's house, he laid down on the sidewalk after going only 20 feet. I noticed these symptoms for several days, but I blamed them on the heat, since it was July and I thought Tiggs was just exhausted from being so hot. It wasn't uncommon for him to skip breakfast at times, so I made the assumption that maybe he wasn't hungry. In hindsight, I should have realized sooner something was really wrong, but I never thought it could be anything so serious.
”I took Tiggs to the veterinary clinic early on the morning of July 16, 2008. The veterinarian wasn't in the office yet. Her two Vet Techs looked in Tiggs’ mouth, and I'll never forget the look on their faces when they saw his gums were white. It had never occurred to me to check his gum color. A small catheter was inserted into Tiggs’ urethra, and when the urine was drawn, it was red. I didn't know yet what was wrong, but I knew it was very serious. When the veterinarian arrived, she drew blood, and diagnosed Tiggs with AIHA almost instantly. The result of the Coombs test was negative, however the autoagglutination on the slide was as clear as day. I called Adam and told him to meet me at the veterinary clinic, then I held Tiggs and cried and cried. The veterinarian said that we were going to treat Tiggs very aggressively to see if we could 'turn his system around’. I didn't understand any of what she was saying, at that point or what would be ahead, but I made a promise to Tiggs and myself that we would do whatever we could and that we would take it one day at a time.
”Tiggs had a PCV 10 and the veterinarian wasn't totally sure if we should do a blood transfusion right away because of the potential for a reaction, but I thought we should try it. We were sent to another veterinary hospital for the transfusion. When we arrived at the second facility we were told we would have to leave Tiggs there overnight. That was the hardest night of my life. We went to visit Tiggs at 6 AM the next morning, and his PCV had climbed to 25. I was told that after a blood transfusion, the PCV will climb, but it is only a matter of time before the body will begin to destroy the new cells. Tiggs was placed on 120 mg of Prednisone, 30 mg of Azathioprine, 30 mg of Pepcid to protect his stomach, 1/4 of a baby aspirin, and received Cerenia shots as well as medications for nausea due to repeated vomiting. It was explained to me that transfusions can 'buy time' until the medications kick in, which in the case of Prednisone can be a week and Azathioprine several weeks. Following Tiggs’ transfusion, his PCV dropped into the teens. I feared he would need to undergo more transfusions, but since his PCV didn't drop below 17, it was decided not to transfuse him again. Early on, Tiggs required antibiotics since he developed infections due to his suppressed immune system. Tiggs' PCV fluctuated up and down for several weeks before it finally held in the 20's and then a few more weeks before it hit the low 30's and then a gradual, and slow upward climb. Occasionally Tiggs’ PCV would drop 5 points and I would panic, but then it would rebound a few points. During the first 2 weeks, when Tiggs was so ill, we spoon fed him to help him get some calories.
”The side effects of the high dosage of Prednisone were very hard on Tiggs. He was extremely hungry and thirsty, and he leaked a lot of urine. We wrapped him in toddler diapers and had him sleep on towels. His head wasted away, and his cheek bones and occipital bone on top of his head were very pronounced. His back legs were very shaky and weak, and we lifted him into the car and bed for many months until the his PCV rose and the medication dosages were reduced and then finally discontinued.”
When Melissa was asked to comment on the current state of Tiggs’ health she replied, “Tiggs’ current health is wonderful. He is back to being happy and healthy. His ‘cheerio’ tail is back in full effect, as well as his perpetual smile and zest for life. His head has filled back in, and his legs are once again strong and springy. He wrestles and plays with his canine sisters and any other doggy friends that he meets at the dog park or that visit. He’s a social butterfly! His PCV at his last blood check on October 3, 2009 was 48. Tiggs currently takes no medications for the treatment of AIHA, however, he does take .5 mg Thyrotabs twice per day for the treatment of hypothyroidism which he developed secondary to AIHA. Tiggs also receives Dermcaps which are Omega supplements for a healthy coat. We use no flea/tick preventative and Tiggs will not be vaccinated again. We would like to extend a very special thank you to our vet, Dr. Lynette Sakalleriou and her wonderful staff, Shirley and Dawna, of East Valley Veterinary Clinic here in Salt Lake City for always taking such great care of both Tiggs and of us! Tiggs continues to amaze and inspire me with his positive attitude and joy for everything around him. He is a true friend to all. I have never seen a happier dog and our bond is stronger than ever. The day he rediscovered his favorite ball brought tears of joy to my life! We have both learned to live and appreciate each day to the fullest.”
December 2009
Mac
Mac is a 6 year old neutered male Springer Spaniel owned by Jane and John of Saint Cloud, MN. Mac was diagnosed with immune-mediated hemolytic anemia on May 28, 2008.
When Jane was asked to comment on Mac’s symptoms prior to his IMHA diagnosis she replied, “We knew everything wasn’t right with Mac when on May 26, 2008 he refused to eat while we were at our cabin in northern Minnesota. We weren’t too concerned at the time since all of our dogs have consumed less food while at the cabin due to the many interesting things to ‘check out’ while there. Mac seemed quieter, but he has always been a calm Springer so we weren’t overly concerned about his lack of appetite.
When I decided to take Mac in to the veterinarian on May 28, I felt foolish for doing so simply because he had refused food for two days in a row. He was alert, active and wagging his tail. I almost turned around and took him back home. However I did continue on to the veterinarian where I was told he would need to remain for the day for testing. I was astonished when I received a call from the veterinary clinic telling me Mac was very anemic. He had a PCV of 19.1 and a low platelet count of 41. A Coombs test was done which came back negative, however the test for Anaplasmosis was positive. Mac was started on 50 mg Doxycycline per day and within a week his platelets returned to the normal level while his PCV increased only one point. Since it was thought the Anaplasmosis had put Mac’s body into ‘overdrive’ causing his IMHA, It was decided to start Mac on 50 mg prednisone per day. After one month when Mac’s PCV was only rising one point per week, 25 mg Azathioprine per day was added to the treatment regimen. Even after the addition of Azathioprine, Mac’s recovery continued to be very slow with his PCV only increasing about one point every two weeks. When Mac’s PCV rose into the normal range and stabilized, we slowly started to reduce his prednisone dosage until it was discontinued in mid August, 2009. Mac remains on 25 mg Azathioprine every third day.”
When Jane was asked to comment on the current state of Mac’s health she replied, “Currently Mac’s health is excellent. His PCV at his last blood check in late October, 2009 was 50 and all of his other blood values were in the normal range. Mac could be the poster boy for the perfect dog, as far as I am concerned. His coat is glossy and his appetite is good. Mac’s energy level seems to be at its pre-IMHA level, he's silly, wants to play with other dogs again, and is always on the lookout for the rouge squirrel or rabbit. My husband took him duck hunting in North Dakota a few weeks ago and this is what he reported by cell phone when he got back to the shack:
‘I couldn't hit the broadside of a barn initially and I think Mac was starting to lose faith in me. We moved to a different slew and after I had set the decoys out I came back to shore to load my gun. Just at that time a group of Mallards landed among the decoys. Mac decided to take matters into his own hands--he launched into the water and swam toward them which of course spooked them and they started to get up off the water. Mac somehow launched himself out of the water and grabbed a duck by its rear end as it flew by and brought it back to me. If you're keeping track of the score that would be:
Mac: 1
John: 0’
John brought home one very happy, very tired dog that weekend! He said Mac performed at his pre-IMHA level and they were both so happy to be out in the slew together again.
”We think the Mac’s very slow medication reduction has been the key to his remission. Patience is everything when dealing with this disease. If you didn’t know his history, you would never know Mac had ever been sick. According to our veterinarian Mac is not to be vaccinated for the rest of his life. Mac does have cataracts as a result of the prednisone usage, but as our vet said, ‘He didn’t get the memo that said his sight is compromised, so don’t worry about it.’ Mac’s health scare has taught us the importance of living in the moment and enjoying what is right before you. We cherish this second chance for Mac and enjoy his incredible personality and every day exuberance.”
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