Autoimmune Haemolytic Anaemia

Hi Everyone,

So our big handsome boy is still at Rutland House, and has had a series of tests late last night, which included an ultra sound scan and a number of x-rays to rule out tumours. His blood test results came back with a blood count of 14% which is very very low, a healthy dog has a count between 35% and 55% platelets per volume, however Mr Stevan said they were going to hold off giving him a blood transfusion, and were going to see how he was would deal with the new medication overnight, I felt a glimmer of hope. So they hooked him up t a drip and started the meds.

However, we got a call this morning from Mr Stevan at Rutland House saying Louis’s blood count had dropped overnight to 10% which meant there was no other choice but to give him a blood transfusion, so asked for our permission, which of course we gave. As we are not covered by insurance this is another worry, but we will deal with the cost after his treatment. Mr Stevan is aware of our situation and suggested he could take blood from Olga, but he would only be able to take a small amount around 250ml, but we decided that we could not put Olga through that as it would frighten her so much, plus Louis needs more than 250ml, so thanked him for his suggestion but asked him to get to volume he needs from the blood bank.

I never gave it a thought that there is a doggie blood bank, so would like to thank everyone who’s doggies donate their blood. Louis will be having a platelet transfusion, and the idea is this would up his blood count to at least 20% which will give his body a chance to deal with the more aggressive medication.

As I have been writing this entry we have had a call from Mr Stevan and Louis’s blood count has gone up to 21% he is eating and looks a lot better than he did, they said as long as he doesn’t go downhill overnight we can pick him up tomorrow to bring him home for the weekend as long as we promise to take him back on Monday (this helps with the cost as well as being good for Louis). I have been told not to get too excited but I can’t help it, if we can have him home for the weekend then that’s just amazing. The platelets will hopefully give him the time for the new medication to start working properly.

Olga is a little lost at the moment she keeps looking for him, and is even more clingy than she normally is, so she will be so happy to see her pal even if it is just for a couple of days.

Thank you to everyone who has prayed for him and send good luck messages, the one person I really need to thank is Nicky at Mr Jones’s Vets if it wasn’t for her stressing Rutland maybe able to help we wouldn’t have Louis, you really are his guardian angel. Let’s hope we have many more memories to make with him.. Yes this is me not getting excited haha..  

:) Karyn