Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia - Aiha

[Rickiesmom]

A whippet I know has recently been diagnosed with AIHA. His owner is looking for contacts who have dealt with this, to learn from them. I have searched this forum and found a little information, mostly about the possible link to over-vaccination, vs. dealing with the disease itself.

 

If you are able to help, please post, PM me, or e-mail at mt dot laham at rogers dot com

 

(Just remove the spaces and replace the punctuation.)

 

Thank you!

[Guest Cris_M]

I am so sorry to hear about this whippet. Please tell the owner that he/she may have better luck looking up IMHA (Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia) rather than AIHA. It is the same disease just a newer name.

 

Our vets thought Gabriel had IMHA prior to finding out that he had pancytopenia/leukemia/lymphoma. For about 10 days, I immersed myself in IMHA info and Gabriel was treated as if he had IMHA. The treatments weren't much if any different for IMHA and what he had.

 

I have entered some websites at the bottom of this entry that I still had left on my computer files that may or may not help this owner. I also remember that there was a support group for IMHA but I couldn't find that. Perhaps, the owner can find that on his/her own. I will tell you that the support group was pretty depressing because the disease is a rough one even if remission is achieved.

 

If the owner needs someone who can understand a bit of what he/she is going through (daily PCV tests, pred and antibiotics, blood transfusions, stress, worry, etc.), please contact me. It won't be perfect since Gabriel ended up with a worse set of diseases, but it could be something.

 

Meanwhile my prayers go to both the owner and the whippet.

 

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/imha.html

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.js...tm/bc/60205.htm

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

[Hubcitypam]

My first grey died of IMHA a few days after her annuals and I did quite a bit of research but that was years ago. There is a vet on another grey forum who firmly believes over-vaccination is linked -- and so do I.

 

The good news is that your friends dog is male. A male dog that I adopted out lived a fairly good life for several years after he was diagnosed. My research found that poodles and cockers are very prone to the disease and middle aged bitches are most likely to die from it. My niece who is an RN says something similar happens in people with Lupus --another autoimmune disease. They rarely have a male patient with Lupus die but if a young Hispanic woman is admitted they very very seldom live.

 

My girl (who was 4) went from fine to dead in 48 horrible hours and it was a terrible death I wouldn't wish on anyone. She went so fast the Coombs test came back right after she died.

Edited December 19, 2007 by Hubcitypam

[Guest snowberry]

Yahoo support group here: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/CIMDAsupport/