Veterinary Question

[Guest guest]

I have a question for our old MD in Drain, Oregon who’s

e-mail address I can’t find but sorry to post this on the listserv.

Joann was so helpful previously when one of us had a dog with kidney failure

and she explained about the white muzzle, and eating carrion and all that fun

stuff.

Any, Joann, my father has a 9 year old y who has been

diagnosed with autoimmune hemolytic anemia. She has been in a tertiary

hospital for over 5 days now. She has received 2 blood transfusions and

is on prednisone. They have been tapping her belly for ascites a couple

of times a day it seems. They have also done a couple of splenic biopsies.

Her last transfusion was yesterday when her crit dropped back to 17%.

This AM it was apparently 33% but not repeated. I am getting the info

from my step mother who has a poor understanding of what is happening. My

father is apparently besides himself and not able to make a decision. The

belly taps have become bloody but I don’t really find that surprising

considering how many times they have stuck needles in there. They say she

is walking and drinking and eating a little and is “comfortable”.

Anyway, my father and step-mother have been told that there

is a 33% chance of full recovery, 33% chance of putting it in remission and

controlling it and 33% chance of no response. My step-mother is

holding onto the hope of that 33% full recovery which she has never heard of

before (they had an Airedale with autoimmune neurological condition that never

improved). Do you know anything about this? And shouldn’t

she have responded to the prednisone by now?

Kathy Saradarian,

MD

Branchville, NJ

www.qualityfamilypractice.com

Solo 4/03,

Practicing since 9/90

Practice Partner

5/03

Low staffing

[Guest guest]

Dear Kathy, I am afraid we really don't have great data on this terrible disorder. Airdales and y are amoung the breeds that get many different kinds of cancers. The 33%/33%/33% reading is unlikely to be a "real" percent of the liklihood of recovery; in fact the likelyhood is that your poor animal is likely to die of the illness, and the vet was being kind in giving your family some kind of hope. If the animals improve on prednisone, it happens fast and does not return: and I have never been secure in whether those cases weren't really some unknown virus that was acting like Parvovirus does in some people with certain blood varients. I am so sorry. Joanne, the MD/DVM from Drain, OregonKathy Saradarian

wrote: I have a question for our old MD in Drain, Oregon who’s e-mail address I can’t find but sorry to post this on the listserv. Joann was so helpful previously when one of us had a dog with kidney failure and she explained about the white muzzle, and eating carrion and all that fun stuff. Any, Joann, my father has a 9 year old y who has been diagnosed with autoimmune hemolytic anemia. She has

been in a tertiary hospital for over 5 days now. She has received 2 blood transfusions and is on prednisone. They have been tapping her belly for ascites a couple of times a day it seems. They have also done a couple of splenic biopsies. Her last transfusion was yesterday when her crit dropped back to 17%. This AM it was apparently 33% but not repeated. I am getting the info from my step mother who has a poor understanding of what is happening. My father is apparently besides himself and not able to make a decision. The belly taps have become bloody but I don’t really find that surprising considering how many times they have stuck needles in there. They say she is walking and drinking and eating a little and is “comfortable”. Anyway, my father and step-mother have been told that there is a 33% chance of full recovery, 33% chance of putting

it in remission and controlling it and 33% chance of no response. My step-mother is holding onto the hope of that 33% full recovery which she has never heard of before (they had an Airedale with autoimmune neurological condition that never improved). Do you know anything about this? And shouldn’t she have responded to the prednisone by now? Kathy Saradarian, MD Branchville, NJ www.qualityfamilypractice.com Solo 4/03, Practicing since 9/90 Practice Partner 5/03 Low staffing

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