The vet is pretty sure that my dog Boomer has something called Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia and the survival rate is about 50%. I am heartbroken right now because he doesn't seem sick at all. They are starting him on hard core steroids today. Does anyone have any experience with this good or bad?
When I was younger, we had a yellow lab with that disease. He was kept full of meds but he lived a long time (16 years?) with half of that being after the diagnosis. Here's you to having the same luck.
Oh Wulf I'm glad to hear something like that. They are loading the drugs on board today and should be for a while. I check back in with the vet on Thursday to see if he is responding to them. I'll keep everyone updated. The worst part is that he just doesn't act sick, but the vet is telling me that he is very sick (not critical yet, but things need to improve right now). Thanks for the kind thoughts. I wasn't sure if anyone would have heard of this.
My dog has a similar disorder Immune Mediated Thrombo Cytopenia ... in your dog's case, it's the red blood cells that are being attacked by the immune system ... in mine, it's the blood platelets. However, she's also anemic. The treatments look similar, from what I've been reading. The hard part is trying to figure out what is CAUSING the problem. It will help to treat in the long run. There's all sorts of tests they'll run. They'll max out your dog on steroids, and you can expect steroid treatment or immunosuppressants for a long time, if not for the rest of their life - which can be perfectly manageable. Willow only takes a pill and a half, every other day now, for hers. If the vet says your dog is very sick, it's probably because of the anemia ... they're most likely focusing on getting that under control. What kind of dog is Boomer? Keep us informed!
I've never had a dog, or known one personally with this disorder. I really hope that you and Boomer have the same good luck GoWulf and his pooch had! You mentioned that your vet was "pretty sure" Boomer had this condition - I suppose there was a test performed to be certain that the diagnosis was indeed that disorder. One thing to discuss with your vet is one of the possible side effects from large doses of steroids besides weight gain, and a few others there can be mood swings - just watch out for them, it doesn't happen in all dogs, but some can get a bit snappy when they are on them. Hugs to Boomer!
awwww well I know nothing about that disorder but I do wish yall the best and hope your pooch has a long happy life!
I hope boomer baby is OK. I know ELims has put her heart and soul into making her baby happy and healthy. She is a smart cookie and can give you a lot of good info. Best of luck and hugs to you and Boomer.
Please keep praying for him and thinking about him. His PCV level dropped signifigantly during the last couple of days, but he has only been on the high dose steroids for a day so I'm praying that they will start to take effect and it will start to go back up. This is a disease where things can go downhill very quickly so it's obviously keeping up on pins and needles everyday. Thanks for the support from eveyone.
Just an update. Took Boomer this morning and his PCV level had not gone down, which is what I was dreading would happen. It actually went up a point or two which is great. Hopefully this means that the meds are taking effect and the numbers will steadily climb. The vet says she will be able to tell in 4-5 days whether he is responding or not. I'm not getting myself too excited until we are really out of the woods because this disease is nasty and can do anything, but today is a good day so I'm going to take it. Keep rooting for increased PCV numbers! :hurray: (Just to give you an idea. The normal PCV range for a dog is 37-55. Anything below 35 is anemic. When we brought boomer into the vet initially he was maybe 32-33, which meant he was anemic but not critical. The appt. after that was 27. Four days later (as of yesterday) he had dropped to 19, which is when I really started to think we were for sure going to lose him. Going into today's appt. I was so scared to see whether the drugs had started to work and am just so glad that he went up to about 21-22. Anyway, this is a lot of mumbo jumbo, but it makes me feel better to talk about it.)
Colinmama, hang in there ... those numbers are still quite reasonable. If he's out of the 'teens, that's FANTASTIC!! Even the 'upper teens' isnt terrible ... I think my dog's PCV (for those who dont know - that's the Packed Cell Volume, and it's actually measured in the thousands ... so when we say 20 - it actually means 20-thousand) is never higher than 30, due to her disorder ... we couldnt get it to stabilize any higher. She's been fine with it, but I've had to alter her lifestyle a little. It sounds like Boomer is improving! Keep us informed ... will be praying for you and your family. Just stay positive ... even if the PCV doesnt climb back up to a 'normal' range, doesnt mean he wont be with you for a long time yet to come. Sending warm puppy thoughts!!
Thank you! You know exactly how much those numbers mean! I'm also encouraged to hear that your little one is doing just fine in the high 20s. I can understand it because Boomer has not been acting any different. He still wants to run out of the yard and go after his ball. The vet says they just don't even know that they are sick. I'm going to take it day by day and just pray for no more big drops. Thank you so much. :grouphug:
Needed some rest and relaxation from some here I guess. I have a minor update she is taking boomer this week for some testing to see what type of progress is being made. If and when I get an update it will be posted for those that have shown concern. Thank you much...
Just a somber update unfortunately.. I just heard that Boomer didn't make it...:cry::cry: He put up a good fight but it just wasn't enough, so for those that have asked or wondered how it was going please say a prayer or two for Colinmamma and family. Tough times right now.:grouphug::grouphug:
