Morris Animal Foundation

i am reading so many going through what my little chihuahua is dealing with. IMHA my baby was well on one day and then during the day while i worked it happend. maybe it was going on before but hayley ate breakfast that morning. it is so fast. she did not have any skin infections or had she been sick but did have a very bad reaction to her shots.that is the only thing that happend different.my heart goes out to each and every pet and pet parent. my hayley is still on the mend.i know we as pet parents are at the most helpless time . i wish i could make all well and that there would not be any bad dieases . when i lost my macey that girl too was family she lived to be 21 1/2 years old. my vet said if he had not taken care of macey when she was just 5 weeks old her mama dog stopped nursing her. so the breeder and close friend gave macey to me she was a copper golden retriever like the one on t.v. about the beans. and they usually live 10-12 years some 15 years.i bought a book called cold noses at the pearly gates. it helpped me some what to know she is waiting at the rain bow bridge. it is the hard losing a pet child. something that we never are ready no matter the age.my hayley is my child my husband and i do not have human kids we have had pets children. and we love them so.i am scared to death with my hayley having IMHA and have no control of this diease. she is doing well i am told but know all to well how it can turn and i hug her every chance i get and let her know how much we love and we are here for her. and this is what i am seeing of having control over. and when she is resting i a trying to reach out to others and let them know i am praying for all dogs and cats with IMHA and other bad dieases. i do care about all animals and my heart goes out to all as i too hurt for my little hayley also and need support too.i hear your words and sometimes like now i am at such alose of knowing and wondering why little sweet animals have to go through this and how it starts. i do home cook for my hayley at this time but have done so in past as a nurse i work long hours and worry as some days my husband and i both are gone for about 3 hour before someone is with hayley this too is scarey.i too wonder about bio algae after meds and if you can keep your pet on them if only we had answers and the medical team had more to this and other dieases.bless all and i wish the very best to each. my mind is such a fog at this time... my hayley has been on treatment since march 9th and it is now the 26th. she is eating well and playing but not up to alot of playing and the vet sid she will need a wheel chair in the next few weeks so i am ordering a pink one fron walkin wheels. the meds have taken a toll on her hips and back legs already. but she was abused when we got her with spine and back leg damage even U.T. could not help.i wish the very best for each of pet kids and pet parents.

Our mixed breed, Maggie is going through her second bout with IMHA, She is only 5 yrs old. Are supplements such as Algae Concentrate or diet of cooked liver of any value to improve her condition?

My dog was diagnosed with immune mediated thrombocytopinea and IMHA. She has been in remission for one year, but has recently relapsed. Being a scientist myself, I am interested in learning more about the disorder and would like to become active within the community. After reading several blog post I have noticed a correlation between skin infection and first onset of symptoms. Have any owners experimented a similar situation. If so, could you describe the event and the antibiotics proscribed to treat the initial skin infection? Given the rarity of the disorder and lack of available treatment (both human and canine) blogs appear to be are strongest resource.

Maggie, I am so sorry to hear about your beloved dog. Morris Animal Foundation is currently funding two IMHA studies and has funded numerous studies in the past. You can read about these studies by searching the studies database under Blood Disorders http://www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/our-research/results.html?animalspecies=dogs&study_area=blood-disorders&active=active&completed=completed&vssstudy=. Another good resource for information is http://www.cloudnet.com/~jdickson/.

Good afternoon, I lost my beautiful soul mate - Ricky my 8.5 year old Chihuahua on Saturday to this awful disease. It came out of nowhere. The week before I noticed he was 20% not himself but I thought maybe it was some sort of cold. On Monday he didn't want to eat anything, and then Tuesday he also didn't' want to eat anything - and I also noticed that his urine was a dark orange(Brown). So I made a quick appt for my husband to take him to the vet on Wed. All the blood work was done but unfortunately you have to wait 24 hours for blood work. On Thursday afternoon, I called my vet and it seemed like Ricky's Red Blood Count (BillyReuben) level was way off. So the vet asked that I rush him to the vet, I left work immediately took Ricky to the vet with my husband. The vet told us that Ricky was diagnose IMHA. She asked that we leave him in the animal hospital so he can get proper treatment, Steroids, IV, and some sort of antibiotic since he was running a small fever 40c. On Wed his red blood cells where in his 30s. However on Thursday since since she was giving him IV, they dropped down to 18. But she expected that since she was flushing his body out with IVs. She said that the steroids wont' start working for a couple days but Ricky is stable and has a great outcome. Ricky was lethargic, he didn't' want to eat or drink, but he was fully alert and soo happy to see us. We went and visited him for 2 hours on Thursday afternoon/evening. Little did I know that was going to be the last day I see my precious angel. We cuddled and held him as he was hooked up to his IV. He was so happy to see us as he was panting and giving us small kisses. He just wanted to sleep with us. After 2 hours, I gave him a kiss goodbye and said "see you in the morning" He had these beautiful brown eyes and was like "mommy where you going, dont' leave me" On Saturday morning, my husband and I woke up and started getting ready to go visit my sweet baby where we got that awful call. The vet said "I have some bad news, Ricky passed at night time - he probably had a thromboembolism (Blood clot) which is a huge risk during IMHA. Apparently when the vet came in the morning, he had his blanket still on top of him, so he died peacefully in his sleep. My husband and I are so grief striken and so upset by this. We dont' understand how God could have taken our amazing angel away from us. We loved him so much and treated him like our precious baby - which he is. I have so many "What ifs" such as : - What if I took him to an 24 hour hospital where they had night care, could they have saved him. My vet says "probably No" Because a blood clot is impossible to cure when it happens. - What if I done something wrong? What if I gave my cold to my dog? And thats' how he got this immune disease? - What if we got a blood transfusion. Which the vet thought Ricky was stable and didn't' require at the time. His little brother (Baily also a chihuahua) is so sad and deeply missing his brother. Our lives have turned upside down without our little angel. The only thing that is slowly letting me live, is that a lot of people say that when dogs die - they go to heaven because their souls are so pure and that they can see us and hear us, and they are happy and not sad. Does anyone know if there is a legit organization that is currently trying to cure IMHA? I would like to make a donation on behalf of my sweet angel Ricky.

Hi Mona, don't lose hope. My rottie-mix was diagnosed with AIHA when he was 5 years old. He was put on aziathioprine (Imuran) for two years and then weaned off. He had a relapse when he was 8 1/2 years old and given a transfusion. When that didn't work he was given human immugloban which completely turned him around. He was also put back on Imuran (every other day) for the rest of his life. He lived to the age of 12 which is pretty amazing for a larger breed.

Our 6 year old schnoodle was diagnosed last night with AIHA/IMHA and is being transfused as I sit here typing in a haze. Ironically I am a registered nurse who worked as the Immunolgy Clinician at a childrens hospital caring for a wide variety of autoimmune diseases. I would love any information that you would have particularly in the way of care in the Chicagoland area. I have heard stats ranging from a 40% to 75 % survival rate. I'd like to get the best info available. thank you.