I'm just posting here because so many of you have been through this. I
don't really need advice on how to treat it, at least not the first part.
Anyway, my 12 year old cocker has either IMHA or ehrlichiosis. It's very
unlikely that he has ehrlichiosis, it's not really found in this area.
The vet had to look up the dosage for the doxycycline; if it were more
common he'd know it off the top of his head. So, he's taking that and
megadoses of steroid until we get the blood tests back (they were supposed
to come back today, but not all of them did for some reason so we'll hear
back tomorrow. But I'm pretty sure it's IMHA.

He's feeling better today, he's doing some walking on his own, isn't as
wobbly, drinks water on his own (instead of lying down and you bringing
him the bowl and him giving a few half hearted licks) and he ate a normal
spiked meal (we spiked his food with tasty stuff, which is normal a few
days of the week but was intentional today) though it took him longer to
chew and swallow and he didn't lick out his bowl. He's still peeing blood
with some urine, instead of urine with some blood. It would be such a
beautiful ruby red color if it were something else.

On top of this, he has a node on his spleen and a slow spleenic bleed.
It's being absorbed, and the vet said that if the ultrasound is normal (a
week or so after we've gone through treatment, he's too sick to worry
about it now) then we can leave it, because (here's my question) some dogs
have a bit of a spleenic bleed that gets absorbed? If it looks ugly, then
we have some discussions to make. We were more concerned about the IMHA
at that point that my questions were about that and not so much the
spleen. It's normal sized except for having that node, and I guess given
his age if it looks normal it's less stress on him to leave it than it is
to take it out. Anyone hear anything about this?

natalie

I can give my private mail if anyone wants, just let me know.


--

What fresh hell is this?
--- Dorothy Parker