aiha complications

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aiha complications

Posted : 10/1/2011 3:56:47 PM

Hello everyone- I don't think I have posted on here yet (or I may have once awhile ago) but I am really in need of some help

Lola is my 2 year old 3 lb chihuahua (at least she was 3 lbs when she was diagnosed LOL) now shes almost up to 6 lbs but even cuter

I have recently moved back to my college home and my parents have been taking care of here (because she had been improving) Lola was initially diagnosed with non-regenerative anemia and thrombocytopenia --since diagnosed in july, she has taken leaps and bounds towards recovery--her rbc and wbc are normal--she is obviously regenerative, and her platelets finally got into normal range

She has been very perky and happy lately--and an outsider would probably think she was a normal healthy dog, but of course, I can still tell that she is very different.

Anyway, I have been worried about her liver enzymes, so we got her blood taken yesterday to do a check on everything--the results weren't very great, and since our vet isn't a specialist, he openly admits that he has no idea where to go from here ...so basically I am once again relying on normal people for help-- who I 100% credit Lola being here right now to.

I am just going to list the abnormal and normal results because I don't really know what some of them mean..below the results i listed her current meds and her diet

ALK PHOSPHATASE      - Reference Range    10-150          U/L -     LOLA = 533 HIGH
ALT (SGPT) - Reference Range     5-107         U/L -     LOLA = 537 HIGH
GGT Reference Range     0-14         U/L -     LOLA = 289 HIGH
AMYLASE      Reference Range     450-1240     U/L - LOLA = 222 LOW
CHOLESTEROL       Reference Range     112-328      mg/dL -   LOLA = 436 HIGH
PHOSPHORUS    Reference Range      2.1-6.3       mg/dL - LOLA = 6.4 HIGH
TCO2 (Bicarbonate)        Reference Range     17-24    mEg/L - LOLA = 25 HIGH
CHLORIDE                      Reference Range     105-115    mEg/L - LOLA = 98 LOW
B/C RATIO                         Reference Range     ----- -           -- -        LOLA = 30 HIGH
Absolute Lymphocyte       Reference Range    1000-4800 /uL - LOLA = 749 LOW
Anion Gap    Reference Range    12-24           mEq/L - LOLA = 27 HIGH

t4 Test - result = 2.3 - normal in reference range of 1.0-4.0 ug/dL

WBC = 10.7 (better than last week)
RBC = 5.55 (better than last week)
HGB = 14.4 (better than last week)
HCT = 41.1 (worse, was 43.1 last week)
MCV = 74 (last week was too high at 81)
MCH = 25.9 (last week was too high at 26.2)

Neutrophil Seg = 87 (too high on reference range of 60-77%)
Lymphocytes = 7 (too low on reference range of 12-30%)
Eosinophil = 1 (too low on reference range of 2-10%)

Platelets= 178,000 --still normal but went down a lot from last week ( 230,000 )

I am very very worried about leaving my little girl and I don't know where to go from here--if her liver enzymes are too high, what am I giving her too much of?? since her t4 levels are normal, should i cut back on the thyroxine ? i am also worried about her platelets dropping so much --i really need help.

Her current list of medicines are:
--pepcid & sucralfate
--atopica
--prednisone
--thyroxine
--pet-tinic
--milk thistle
--probiotic
--gui pi tang (herbal doctor)
--epimedium powder (herbal doctor)

she is on a very strict diet of chicken- rice-and veggies-
we also put some salmon oil on her food

please any advice is more than helpful

thank you,

christina, lola & family

calliecritturs

Posted : 10/1/2011 5:22:06 PM

Hi Christina -- I wondered how you were doing!! I'm going to ask the moderators to move this over to the IMHA AIHA thread where it will be seen by the others battling this.

I'd say you need to increase the milk thistle but MOSTLY you need to add SAM-e - that will help the liver values. Your vet would have denosyl, but I particularly like Cell Food's SAM-e -- it's a liquid and veyr well tolerated. It specifically will help detox the liver.

How long since you've been to your TCVM vet?? (I think I've got the right Christina/chihuahua here) Did you wind up going to Cape May or did you find someone else? The herbals likely need to be tweaked -- I would think that would be the way to help the platelets to be honest.

As far as the milk thistle -- how much are you giving? Have you tried giving tincture as well as the ground herb? That might be helpful -- it's a bit more ramped up.

The Cell Food SAM-e you can get actually reasonably at Vitamin Shoppe's. Caution-- you don't want *just* Cell Food (which is a supplement in itself) you want Cell Food SAM-e.

The crit that has fallen a bit isn't a big deal unless it continues as a trend. They can vary two points just by reason of how much water they've drunk that day.

The fact that she's doing THIS well, honestly speaks SO highly of you. I know you were trying hard to help her!! All your hard work shows. You don't always win with IMHA but you are doing incredibly well with her!!