Dog Dylan: Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia and High Dose Prednisone

For more videos go to http://mybullseyeview.com
This is what happened to Dylan after 5 weeks of taking high dose prednisone to treat her Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia. She cannot stand on her own and I am using a harness and a towel as a sling under her belly together to carry and assist her. The combination makes it easier to control both ends separately and also helps keep the towel from slipping off (fold it into the harness where there is now a lot of extra room and hold the 2 together). It also allows me to give her some control over where she goes.

When I got her as a pup she had been wild for 2 months and was a very independently minded dog. Manipulating her physically, even when she is weak, is met with resistance. Token resistance and a common method of trying to provoke fear to keep danger away. She never bites to hurt, just bars her teeth, growls and snarls and and snaps at me. I have had my hands and face in her mouth when she is doing this to prove to her that I am in charge and helping her whether she wants my help or not, as it is the only way she is getting up.

She cannot always get her feet forward enough onto her pads, so in this video you see me fix her back foot so she is standing on the pads instead of the top. This is because she has lost so much muscle and the imbalance of strength makes it harder to do things with the weaker muscle. Pulling the leg forward is not as strong as pushing on it to propel them or stand.

She also now turns better to the right and turning to the left can be done, but not really with bending of her body like you see here. That is a result of brain damage caused by "ischemia" (lack of oxygen) due to her anemia.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• dogs
• canine
• health
• immune
• AIHA
• IMHA
• autoimmune
• hemolytic
• anemia
• mediated
• AIHA/IMHA
• prednisone
• iatrogenic
• cushings
• disease

[gnrdogs]

you can get my email off my blog (website info) or by contacting me on twitter. I guess you don't see my email here.

[gnrdogs]

I now help anyone I can, as I do know how hard it is. Read my story on Dylan and you will see. I will be writing about her battle with prednisone, as that is something you will want ot deal with as aggressively as the disease you are fighting. I cannot give a link, but I know a good source to read for the symptoms of Iatrogenic Cushings Disease if you email me, which is what high dose prednisone causes. Pred increases metabolic activity so panting is normal to release excess heat.

[gnrdogs]

My website and twitter account are on my channel info. And my new channel is one of my subscribers. mybullseyeveiw for future videos.

Email me and i will try to help dealing with prednisone and the disease you are fighting. I would do anyting for my dog and I know many others who fight for dogs now too (people with AIHA and IMHA survivors) and they fight and they never give up even though some vets want us to.

[gnrdogs]

I have written Dylan's story of the first 5 days of her fight on my new blog but I have not written her story on fighting prednisone. Yes prednisone at the dose your dog is on is likely to lead down the same path, although at least your dog was started at less than 1mg/lb whereas Dylan was started over 2 mg/lb. I did aggressively removed it and she is now off prednisone entirely and building muscle again.

[gnrdogs]

She has been off prednisone now for 3 weeks and has recovered enough muscle to walk a mile or more every day, bouncing, jumping om my couches and chairs and today even started scratching her head with her hind legs. Her recovery started while she was on prednisone and the day she stood, I was in tears for a half an hour. You can see the early recovery in my "Miracle Dog" video and hopefully another soon.

[gnrdogs]

It is not likely at the dose you are prescribed for anti-inflammatory properties.  She was on a much higher dose for immediate immune suppression to save her life from it attacking her red blood cells and killing her. A bit different, problem. Long term use might cause issues, but not of that magnitude and short term use at low doses is pretty safe overall.

[dorisfh28]

you are so adorable man... I love how you treat your dog 

[Silk0529]

continued...so vet said we can try to suppress his immune system in order to stop the inflamation in lungs. She said his body was attacking lungs for no reason. He has been on prednisone for a week 120mg day and the gagging and retching has stopped..Yippee...However, I am worried about the side effects. He has increased thirst , urination, appetite, and increased respirations. I am worried about side effects. When did your vet decrease the dosage? I hope Dylan continues recovery.

[Silk0529]

Hi. I found your videos while researching auto-immune mediate in dogs. I truly admire your care for your dog. Its good to know that others will do whatever it takes to help them. My dog (mastiff 140lbs) was gagging and retching 2-3 times during the day and many times at night. It was so sad. Anyway, I took him to a specialist and after many tests, they decided to do a lung wash on him and found high eosinophils in his lungs(white blood cells) along with lots of fluid. to be continued...

[furrieborn]

I am so sorry this happened to your pet. I am now wondering if this is what is in store for my canine, after 4 does of this medicine. He was a healthy german shepherd, with a skin irritation. The doctor gave him the prednisone, and now it is pain full for him to walk with his hind legs. My heart goes out to you and your pet.