In the beginning.
 |
| Resting after playing with Pork Chop |
She
would also love to have a fun loving, playful dog like herself and a fenced
back yard. However, active people and access to a dog park would be fine with
her.
A month later….
All- we have a very sick dog in the ER today-Please keep
Ginger in your thoughts.
Day
1-- Ginger received her annual vaccines when we rescued her unknown to anyone;
her body was fighting very hard to metabolize the vaccines. We had no
indication that she was ill until she became lethargic. Although Ginger had
been under a vet's care since that morning she was not doing well. She was
admitted to the ER and had to undergo a blood transfusion and a regiment of
medications. The goal is to restore her red blood cell count and get her
healthy enough produce and maintain an acceptable level of red blood cells on
her own.
They
found that Ginger has Hemolytic Anemia. In very rare instances- it is hard for
the dog's body to metabolize the vaccines and Hemolytic Anemia results. This is
a dangerous condition that left untreated will result in death, but there is no
conclusive link between the vaccines and hemolytic anemia.
This is the most common cause of hemolysis in adult dogs. Red blood cell destruction is caused by auto-antibodies that attack antigens present on the surface of the cells, or by antigens from medications or organisms attached to the red blood cell walls.
According to WebMD for dogs, anemia is defined as a deficiency of red blood cells in the circulatory system. Adult dogs are anemic when the concentration of red cells in the whole blood is less than 37% by volume. The normal range is 39-60%. Red cells are produced by the bone marrow and have an average life span of 110 to 120 days; the old red cells are trapped by the spleen and removed from circulation. So, that’s what the spleen does! The iron they contain is recycled to make new red blood cells, who knew red blood cells were so “green”.
The
purpose of red blood cells is to carry oxygen. Thus, the symptoms of anemia are
caused by insufficient oxygen in the organs and muscles. Signs include lack of
appetite, lethargy and weakness. The mucous membranes of the gums and tongue
become pale pink to white. In dogs with severe anemia, the pulse and
respiratory rate are rapid and the dog may collapse from exertion.
Day 3-- Ginger had one transfusion and is feeling better.
She is eating well and it show already. Her foster family met with
her primary vet that evening to find out the next step.  |
| I love you |
Ginger required a 2nd transfusion since her RBC levels
had dropped. Although this is disappointing and not what we hoped for, the doc
said it is very common that 2 transfusions are needed. We just hoped that #2
did the trick and she could maintain her levels after this.
Her family visited her around 9 pm while she was in the
middle of transfusion #2. Her energy and appetite was still good. Ginger was
one of the few dogs in ICU that did NOT have a "will bite" sticker on
her nametag. 
Her RBC went from 24 that morning to 17 that evening- 30 is the goal. The vet was still hopeful that she would stabilize the following day and that he would call in the morning with an update.
 |
| I got an IV and TREATS! |
Day 4— That afternoon Ginger's RBC count was holding
at 26% for 12 hours straight! This great news! They also said she was
eating with "gusto". The vet said “They will draw blood again
around 6pm and if it maintains, she may be released tonight.”
Ginger was holding her own, with a red blood count of 31
that evening, and she got to go home.
 |
| Walking out after being carried in |
 |
| Late night snacks |
 |
| The last bandage being removed. |
The vet on duty tonight had a great name, Dr. Merlo, who told us there is no follow up necessary unless she loses color or gets lethargic again. She is still on a heavy dose of steroids, an immune suppressant and finishes her antibiotics. She may be on medication for the rest of her life.
Day 5-- Ginger was doing great; her energy, appetite and outgoing personality were restored as before.
 |
| I'm home |
Day 6-- Ginger went back to the vet this morning to get
her blood checked. It is holding steady between 29-30 which is normal. She was
doing fine, her stomach was a little upset yesterday, so we tried some canned
food and that seemed to work better
 |
| Happy in the human bed |
Our vet is optimistic that she is young and healthy
and IF her RBC drops into the teens again, to try one more transfusion and have
the internist take over her case to see if the internist can find the root
cause of the auto-immune disorder. Some tests the internist may do is an
ultrasound or a bone marrow test.
Would Ginger be at risk coming home with all the immune suppressors? NO, she is not at risk, her platelets are normal and her blood is clotting normally.
For more information on Ginger check out CCBTR.ORG
Would Ginger be at risk coming home with all the immune suppressors? NO, she is not at risk, her platelets are normal and her blood is clotting normally.
For more information on Ginger check out CCBTR.ORG
