Another tick disease caused AIHA

Yeah, I can imagine -- Ehlrichia (earl-ick-e-ahh) -- they figure Billy's IMHA was triggered by that ONE tick bite.  He didn't get the disease -- BUT His body formed anti-bodies against it -- but the antibodies 'resemble' the disease just enough that the body turned against the antibodies in the blood and then generalized TO the red blood cells themselves (because those antibodies live IN the red blood cells).
 
The medicine is SO expensive that's what stops most people.  Thankfully we're hopefully backing Billy down some -- his cyclosporin test came back WAY HIGH so they've backed that dose way off, at least for now.  phew. 
 
But on a really elementary level that's often what happens with auto-immune stuff -- the body starts out after one thing and then doesn't 'stop'.  *sigh*

Sandra -- do you have any aloe plants??  If you take a 'leaf' from an aloe plant and pare off the edges (the spiney edges) and then split that slimey leaf down the center and scrape it onto a piece of Saran Wrap -- then smear that goo all over Buck's sore.  It will help heal that greatly -- even areas that are maybe sore 'around' the bigger sore.  And aloe is SO nasty tasting usually they won't lick it. 
 
Any night blooming jasmine in that garden or wandering jew??? (the broadleafed maroon/green/purple one is often planted in gardens around the edges and it's a nasty contact allergen.  Tell Buck Aunt Callie feels for him!!!

 Sorry to hear about Buck's rash; hope he gets better soon. That shampoo was expensive but it should help a lot. It's hard to find skin problems through all that hair isn't it? I noticed Jessie scratching her side last week so I looked through her hair and it took awhile to find them but she had a some red, sore looking areas with bumps. I used some Betagen spray left from when I treated her feet before she started immunotherapy and within two days the spots were gone. Your flowerbed must be a mess; I hope the plants recover. A few years ago Jessie dug up a small bush looking for a chipmunk behind our storage shed; I replanted it elsewhere but it didn't survive (sigh).
  The connection between AIHA and ticks is frightening; even with the best preventatives dogs aren't protected from ticks 100%. I hope the Rottie survives.

Yes, I do have some of the maroon/purple and green stuff, but he has been in it for years--luckily it always makes a come back--and never a problem.  But you never know, that could have been it.  We just figured lantana as he had never been in it before and it makes me itch when i have to trim and handle it.
 
He is much better tonight.  The rash part is gone and the raw area looking much better.  I don't know if it is the antibiotics or the steroid, but he was a regular hog today.  A lot of times, especially in summer, he does not eat breakfast , jut picks at it during the morning (I let the old man eat at his own pace.)  He has to have food with the antibiotics, so i didn't just give dry this morning, I mixed in some mackeral and he scarfed it down.  tonight i boiled chicken hearts with chunks of sweet potatoes and a few minutes before done, added frozen peas and carrots.  He didn't even leave a pea in his pan.
 
After he got that kideny infection the first of June and was antibiotics for 3 weeks, plus SD k/d until he is checked again Sept. 1, I have been giving him a cranberry capsul every day.  He also gets two fish oil a day, one EsterC, one B Complex (per my vet)and one Foster& Smith vita cap.  Also I had been giving him 2 Glucosamine/MSM (500mg each ingredeint) in the morning and one at night.  My vet told me yesterday i could go to giving him 2 at night also.  He has arthritis in his spine and hips and has some trouble getting up and down, but once up, trots rather than walks and can still drag you if he sees a cat while on his walk.  But we know the day is coming when he will need more than the Gluc/MSM and my vet was talking Deramaxx yesterday and I said NO, that will be a lst resort.  I understand Metacam is safer (tho none are safe)  He doesn't prescribe Rimadyl at all.

this is copied from the ASPCA website:  I might think twice about putting aloe on a pet that is prone to licking, etc.  I know, calliecritturs, that you say that most dogs wont lick it as for its bad taste, but if you want to use perhaps start out with only minimal amounts to see???
 

I would like to get an aloe plant to use as a salve for burns. Can I use it on my pets, too?
—Michael K.
Unfortunately, the Aloe vera plant, from the liliaceae family, does have toxic potential—both the outer portion and the inner, liquid portion. Aloe contains saponins, which can produce vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, depression, and tremors in companion animals. Due to the high probability of ingestion, we generally do not recommend using the plant as a salve on pets.

[linkhttp://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc_ask_archive#25]http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc_ask_archive#25[/link]

I used in on KayCee's leg after her knee surgery.  She has such sensitive skin and had a bad razor burn, and even worse tape burn when the splint was removed.  The aloe cleared it right up.  I am thinking you can actually buy aloe vera juice.  I gotta check this out.

It's consistently what my holistic AND my regular vet both recommend (the aloe) altho that article is likely talking about a dog consuming the plant (the outside of the leaf would not be what you'd use).  And as always -- I never let my dogs just "lick" incessantly -- even if you have to give them an e-collar or similar.  If you let them lick incessantly and take off what you've just put on medicinally (and ANY topical is not good to let them lick -- if it were 'good' for them it would be considered food).    In the case of a rash like this, you're limited on what you CAN put on that isn't either too traumatic or poisonous in large quantities.
 
Organizations like the ASPCA have to warn against everything or some idiot is going to let his dog chew on an aloe plant and say 'well no one told me it was dangerous' and try to sue.  No common sense check.
 
You can buy aloe vera juice at better health stores.  Often has things added to it tho, so be cautious.