I am so devastated, my dog may be dying...

[egoldber]

I am so upset this evening. Our dog of 9 years is in the vet hospital in critical condition. On Saturday, she was happy and alert. On Sunday through the day she became lethargic and not interested in food. On Monday she was worse and I took her to the vet. They did bloodwork which came back Tuesday showing she was moderately anemic. This morning she was MUCH worse. I took her back to my vet, who took one look at her and referred me to a specialist. They couldn't even find a vein to take more blood for a new sample!

The specialist said she needed a blood transfusion immediately or she could die imminently!! She is now in the hospital, diagnosed with immune mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA), getting transfused and on high doses of steroids. I am in shock at how quickly this has happened.

I know that this isn't about my baby Sarah, but many of you have dogs and must know how I feel about my "first baby". To go from an apparently healthy dog to a dog on death's door in 4 days has been very shocking for us. And to make matters worse, I have been researching IMHA (tonight I HATE the internet) and have been reading such awful things. Her prognosis no matter what is very poor. At best she'll be on steroids for the remainder of her life and at worse we could lose her tonight. Even if she lives through this episode, she is likely to have another episode at some point.

Thanks for listening,

[Rachels]

Oh, Beth, that's awful!!! I'm so sorry. Pets really do become family members. Even when they're old and you expect it, it's horrible to lose them, so I know you're really suffering right now. I'll be thinking of you.


-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[etwahl]

Beth, I am so sorry to hear this. We have two cats, and they are part of the family. The mere thought of something happening to them saddens me.

So I feel very bad for what you are going through. I will hope and pray for the best for your baby.

Tammy,
Mom-to-be Mar 8, 2003!

[SASM]

Beth,

I am so sorry to hear about your dog. How scary and horrible that this could happen so quickly! I hope that she is comfortable. Try to stay strong and supportive - animals can sense our emotions. I will say a prayer tonight for you and your family. Take care.

Sharyn
EDD #1 01.21.03

[dd_ani]

Beth,

Hang in there! It is always scary when your baby is sick (whether they have two legs or four), and even scarier when things happen so quickly.

I am a veterinarian and, while I can't give you any specific advice, I can tell you that many dogs with IMHA DO recover and go on to do very well. It IS very scary when you get this diagnosis, but ignore the internet (often the information is bleak at best and misleading at worst, depending on the source).

I tried to do a quick search to see if there were any particularly good sites out there, but I couldn't find a great one from any place like a veterinary college that I know would be accurate. One I did come across was this one that might give you a litte hope and some place to start -- this dog lived almost 10 years after the initial diagnosis.

http://www.cloudnet.com/~jdickson/

Do trust your specialist -- there are an awful lot of good ones out there and a number of great ones as well! And know that a lot of people will be thinking about you and your family!

Best wishes,

Michelle

[twins r fun]

I am so sorry, Beth. Pets are like family, especially those that were around pre-baby. Will keep my fingers crossed that she pulls through this.

Nicole

[egoldber]

Thank you so much for taking the time to do a search. That was incredibly nice of you.

I am too compulsive to NOT research this. Fortunately, all my research has led me to the conclusion that my regular vet and the internist/specialist is doing all the "right" things to combat this disease. Now we just have to hope that it all works out.

Thanks,

[egoldber]

Thank you all for your kind words. What makes this so much harder is that our dog is NOT considered old for her breed (Pembroke Welsh Corgi). They often live to be 12-16 years old, and she was in perfect health at a routine exam at the end of October. Some dog breeds do seem to be prone to this, but not corgis.

You guys are the best.

Beth,
Dog-Mom to Cokie, born 1/6/94
Cat-Mom to Moose (born around May 1992) and Rocky (free to good home in Feb 1994)

[jojo2324]

Oh Beth, I'm so sorry about Cokie. I remember a few years ago we had to take Boots (our bulldog-cat, our first baby) to a heart specialist and it just about broke mine. I can't imagine what you are going through. Pets really are such fixtures in a family, and they do provide such emotional support. Thinking of you and Cokie...keep us posted! I'm giving out hugs tonight it seems (:(), so a big one to you both!

[sntm]

Beth, you poor thing! I hope she does okay. If she was very healthy before, that just gives her a better chance of making it through this. I'll send you and Sarah and your corgie positive thoughts.

shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03

[Momof3Labs]

Beth, I'm so sorry, but Cokie's battle is far from over!

I know WAAAY too much about AIHA/IMHA - my first dog suffered from this but survived 14 months past her diagnosis. The site that Michelle posted above is great - Joanne is now working with the Morris Animal Foundation to build up a fund dedicated solely to IMHA research. Unfortunately, a lot of vets don't know how to properly treat this disease; one key is to use more than steroids to treat it. What was Cokie's PCV?

You can write to me directly if you want to talk ([email protected]) - I researched this like crazy when my dog was diagnosed, and have continued to hang around Joanne's chat board. There are a LOT of dogs who survive this, but the key is having outstanding veterinary care at the very beginning.

Lori
Colin 9/28/02

[egoldber]

Lori, thank you so much.

I just spoke to the specialist and Cokie is actually doing fairly well this morning. Her PCV was 10 last night and it is now 18. (It was 24 when we went to our family vet on Monday.) She responded really well to the transfusion and is now eating, drinking and walking, which seemed impossible yesterday. She may come home tomorrow if she continues to respond well to the therapy. (Although they want to continue monitoring her PCV over the next few days.) They are now "guardedly optimistic". She will, of course, continue to be on Prednisone for probably several months.

I looked at that website, but didn't realize there was a board too. I will check that out.

Please see your e-mail.

[nitaghei]

I am so glad to hear that treatment is going well. Hope your corgi keeps getting better. It's heartbreaking when your dog gets sick.

Nita
expecting our first 01/14/03
dog-mom to Max (cocker) and Xena (PWD)

[KimberleyDawn]

Hi Beth,
I just wanted to let you know that I know exactly what you are going through and I pray for your furry baby. Our Ben (Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier) went through hell and back in Aug. after we brought him to the vet for neutering. It seems that Ben has a rare blood condition that doesn't allow his blood to clot (also not common in our breed) and as a result was bleeding out during and after the surgery (constant dripping from stitches). Ben had over 4 blood transfusions and things were not looking good for him. His blood count was below 11 for a couple of days and would only rise after a transfusion but wouldn't stay raised no matter what treatment was given. Through all this Ben was still trying to give kisses, wag his tail and walk to greet us and the staff when we came into the room (I'm crying just remembering it)! After many tears and prayers Ben started to show improvement after about 2 weeks of us not knowing from one minute to the next whether he would live or die. Ben is still with us today, doing great and you would never know that he has a life threatening disease. Stay positive and please keep us posted.
Kim

[Rachels]

Beth, that's great! You guys are in my thoughts.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[alandenisefields]

Hi!

Thanks for using our message boards.

We are so sorry to hear about your dog. We're thinking of you.

Denise and Alan Fields
authors, BABY BARGAINS

[mama2be]

Beth,

I don't know how I missed this post earlier...as you know I am a huge dog (animal) lover so I totally understand your sadness. I always say when somehting happens to one of mine they better dig a hole right beside them for me...

I know nothing about this condition, but glad our "board vet" had encouraging words about her fuzzy patients with the condition.

IF therre is any advice I can give...if Cokie is boardline between "feeling well enough to go home...or possbily go home"...and if you have the chance to keep her there alittle for observation or to take her home leave her there. If you're like me you want her home the second they "OK" it. This way they are watching her if she takes a step back. This kind of situation recently happend to me with a foster dog and had I not rushed to get him out to love on him the vet would have noticed he was taking steps backwards.

Our thoughts are with Cokie'
Neve, Spinnaker, Sandy and Buoy
Schooner and Cinder

Keep us all posted!!!!

[newbelly2002]

Beth,

I was gone for a few days and missed your recent events. I'm so sorry to hear about the panic of the last 48 hours. As a fellow animal lover (enough to bring both the dog and cat twice now to Europe to live), I can only imagine how hard this is on you.

KNow that you, and Cokie, are in my thoughts.

Paula

[mamahill]

Oh Beth, I hope all goes well. You and Cokie will be in my thoughts today. I have two cats that I occasionally get frustrated with (they are shedding MANIACS, though the rescue said they'd probably be short-hairs... they're not.), but freak out at the thought of not having them. Hope both of your babies are ok and that together you can all look forward to the new year! Thinking of you and Cokie...

-Sarah
cat-mom to Marvin and Shamus (5/99)

[egoldber]

Thanks again to everyone for their kind words. I spoke to the specialist again and Cokie's evening PCV (packed cell volume) was again 18. The specialist said it was encourging that it remained steady and that if she is still steady or improving tomorrow morning, then she could come home.

The specialist wants to just keep her on Prednisone at this point. The other drugs given for this are immunosuppressants and have some nasty side effects, so since Cokie is stable at this point, she wants to give Cokie a chance to respond to this therapy first. If she declines again or her PCV does not start to go up, then the other drugs will be added to her therapy. So far I am pleased with this vet.

I have learned that this not an uncommon disease in dogs, although I had never heard of it before.

Everyone has been so kind. It really helps me to be able to write about it like this, and thanks to you all for listening.

[KathyO]

Good thoughts your way from here as well. How could you not become deeply attached to someone who gives you gobs of unconditional love? (And never leaves the toilet seat up?) Best wishes for a good prognosis and and recovery for your four-legged family member.

KathyO
3 cats Mitzi, Bonnie and Sammy

[Annette_C]

Beth,
I'm so sorry about the problems your dog is going through....and you with him.
The only good thing about being a "late poster" is that you find out how things are progressing. In this case, I'm so glad to read that things are going better and that your dog might come home very soon.
My thoughts and prayers are with you and Cokie.
Annette :)
SAHM to Sabrina 6/24/02

[mama2be]

Beth,

We have friends in from out of town (from Farifax :)), but on my way to bed I said, "I have to go check on Beth's dog"...so I am so glad that you posted an update...

Please continue to update us...

[megsmom]

Hey, Beth I'm so sorry, I didn't know. I am glad to hear that your dog is doing better. How stressful and upsetting, though. My whole family was devastated for the longest time when we lost my childhood pet. They really do become like members of the family. Hope she is able to come home tomorrow, we'll save you a seat at playgroup. :)

Jen
mom to Meghan (sorry no pets for you, Meg as long we have your daddy)
7/13/01

[mama2be]

How is Cokie today???

[egoldber]

Neve,

I actually just brought Cokie home. She is still very weak, although much better than when I left her at the hospital on Wednesday. She isn't interested in her regular food: Iams Dry, Weight Control Formula. I can't imagine why she isn't interested, especially when I learned that the hospital was hand feeding her chicken!

They suggested mixing some jar baby food chicken dinner (so that's what it's for, LOL :) !!!) with her food. I am actually off to the grocery soon to get some.

Thanks for asking,

[Rachels]

Both are very adorable! Cokie has wise eyes.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[mama2be]

Great picture...

Glad you have her home!!!
I recently pulled a dog out of a shelter in Florida to save his life though knew I wasn't going to keep him (I was fostering), and unfortunatly he had a tick born disease that paralyzed his back legs within several weeks. Our local lab rescue took over his care (very expensive-they were angels!!!!) and the vet they used fell in love with him and he is as they describe "the pride of the vet", and will live out his life there)...and is now a pro in a doggy wheelchair.

I mention him becasue they too hand fed him chicken, he got spoiled so quickly!!! I was happy to see him that way but we joke he is "rotten"...

When we were desperate for intake on him I was also told to give him baby food...someone else said cat food (though I have heard mixed reviews on this)...

I am so happy that you have your family back under one roof...

[juliasdad]

Beth,

Glad Cokie's home... so sorry to hear about all of this. In a past life, I was very much a dog person; had two flat-coated retrievers, one of them a rescue dog, then later two GSDs. It's always amazing how much they give and give, and how much it hurts when we can't help them as much as they deserve.

Lots of good thoughts, vibes, and slobbery-wet kisses heading Cokie's way.

-dan

[mamahill]

Cokie is beautiful - thanks for sharing! Good luck with the chicken dinner (I guess SOMEONE has to find those appetizing) and hope you and Cokie regain your strength soon :).

[Momof3Labs]

Beth,

The loss of appetite doesn't sound right - those high doses of prednisone usually make the dogs gobble down everything in site! Will they be checking Cokie's PCV over the weekend?

Lori & Colin 9/28/02

[egoldber]

Lori, please see your e-mail.

Thanks!

[SASM]

Beth,

How is Cokie doing? Any increase in her appetite and energy level? She is a beautiful dog :-)

Sharyn
EDD #1 01.21.03

[egoldber]

Sharyn,

Thanks for asking! Cokie is basically stable. Her appetite is not very good, I have ended up hand feeding her that chicken! This is a dog that would (literally) eat dirt if I let her barely more than a week ago.

Her energy level is about the same as when we picked her up from the vet (which in this situation is actually a good thing). We go back to the vet tomorrow to get her red blood cell level (PCV = packed cell volume) re-checked. If it is not improved, then they will add more medications to the very high dose of prednisone that she is already taking. If it has gotten worse, then she will likely have to be re-hospitalized and receive another transfusion.

I have learned that this is not an uncommon disease in dogs and it is an absolutely devastating one. Cokie has a long road ahead of her before she will be close to being the happy, energetic dog she was before. Even if she recovers from this episode, she may very likely have future relapses.

This is not a happy holiday season for us this year. :( But I guess we should be grateful that she is still with us as she very easily could have died.

Thanks for the compliment on Cokie. She is everything that a Pembroke Welsh Corgi ought to be: cheerful, energetic, a little silly and a little willful. I miss that Cokie right now.

[kathsmom]

Beth,

I am so sorry that I have been uable to really post messages until today. I am glad that Cokie is doing better. She is a really cute dog. What did the vet say when you took her there on the 23rd? I certainly hope that she did not have to have another transfusion!

I just wanted you to know that you are in my thoughts at this time. Please do let us know what is going on.

Toni - mom to Katherine (5/19/96) and Andrew (9/23/02)

[egoldber]

For anyone interested, here's a recent picture of DH and Cokie.