ME Posted January 25, 2010 Report Share Posted January 25, 2010 Our 12 year old Parson / Jack Russell terrier "Ollie" is very anaemic and poorly - although he is at home with us. At the moment the Vets are trying to get him back to strength with special food and steroids and they have suggested a blood transfusion, which costs £1500.00. He is insured, but dont know if that is covered yet. Mrs ME doesnt want to put him through it as this wont cure his illness, it will just get him back to full strength quicker so they can find out what is causing the anaemia. Dog anaemia can be caused by loads of things - some treatable and some terminal. Has anyone else had any experience of this ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted January 25, 2010 Report Share Posted January 25, 2010 I am sorry to hear about Ollie mate, I have to say that I tend to agree with Mrs ME although a really hard decision to make. In my eyes it would never be about the money but the quality of life. My neighbours had a red setter that suffered from anemia and it was basically kept alive on a cocktail of drugs. The poor thing could hardly walk to the end of the drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyska Posted January 25, 2010 Report Share Posted January 25, 2010 Our 12 year old Parson / Jack Russell terrier "Ollie" is very anaemic and poorly - although he is at home with us. At the moment the Vets are trying to get him back to strength with special food and steroids and they have suggested a blood transfusion, which costs £1500.00. He is insured, but dont know if that is covered yet. Mrs ME doesnt want to put him through it as this wont cure his illness, it will just get him back to full strength quicker so they can find out what is causing the anaemia. Dog anaemia can be caused by loads of things - some treatable and some terminal. Has anyone else had any experience of this ? I'm sure your insurance will cover that if you have used any reputable company, as you said anaemia is caused by lots of things, let the vets get on with it. Any Q's I'll try and answer. I've been involved with lots of blood transfusion with dogs, and only recently our own dog had to have numerous transfusions due to rat bait poisoning. There isn't really any 'putting him through it', they'll cannulate a vein and give him a dog unit, doesn't take long but the effect will be remarkable, you just don't know how long the effect will last. They will have checked his blood profile for abnormalities (as a blood/plasma transfusion will mask things) so they'll be looking to other things. I'd say (not to a client, but on here) go for it, 12 isn't old for a small dog, and if they can pinpoint the problem you have another few years with your canine friend! Kyska Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lloyd90 Posted January 25, 2010 Report Share Posted January 25, 2010 Sorry to hear that mate. If I was in your shoes I would be honest with myself and probally have the dog put to sleep. Its not about the money its about quality of life. If you can get him back then its up to you all the best for you mate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Fudd Posted January 25, 2010 Report Share Posted January 25, 2010 really sorry to hear that mate, are there any other symptoms? iyou probably dont want to hear this, but arnie started off with anaemia, turned out that it was being caused by leukemia. spent almost £1000 of my own money (pet insurance was still in the "cant claim period") before the vet said there was nothing they could do for him, though it was q quick diagnosis (within a week of 1st trip to vets); having said that my mums cousin spent alot of money getting her lab blood transfusions when she was ill (cant remember what was wrong) but the dogs still going strong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyska Posted January 25, 2010 Report Share Posted January 25, 2010 really sorry to hear that mate, are there any other symptoms? iyou probably dont want to hear this, but arnie started off with anaemia, turned out that it was being caused by leukemia. spent almost £1000 of my own money (pet insurance was still in the "cant claim period") before the vet said there was nothing they could do for him, though it was q quick diagnosis (within a week of 1st trip to vets); having said that my mums cousin spent alot of money getting her lab blood transfusions when she was ill (cant remember what was wrong) but the dogs still going strong. Leukemia will have been out ruled if they've run blood profiles and they've been interpreted correctly, there will be low white blood cell counts accompanying low red cell counts, although its not uncommon to have one and not the other. There isn't any chance of your dog been bashed hard around the abdomen or eaten anything funny like rat bait or onions which you haven't told your vet is there? Not to get too technical but I imagine your dog is on a tablet named prednisolone? If no other symptoms are present they are presuming an auto immune disorder and treating accordingly, your vet is going through a normal procedure, check for external bleeds, internal bleeds and then trauma or liver disease and then autoimmune disorders. I hope he's ok, and only you can make that final decision, but as several people have commented, its about the animals quality of life that counts, if he's not well at all, and there is no way out you need to make the difficult decision of euthnasia. Don't feel that financial constraints shouldn't be a part of your decision, when I worked in practice one of the main contributing factors for euthansia was finances, and its not shamed upon. Worse still was owners keeping their animal 'going' for so long for their own gratification they end up in a world of guilt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ME Posted January 25, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2010 Kyska He has been eating mud, which is a common sign of Anaemia, I believe. Apart from that we did have some small mushrooms toadstools / fungii in the garden a few months ago. Not sure if he might have eaten them Just looked at the Pet Insurance and it isnt worth a toss, that's another life lesson learnt! The vet is injecting him with a steroid as he is bad at the best of times with tablets. He has been given some vitamin water and special food. He had blood and urine tests but they both came back as severe anaemia - to the extent that they cant get enough red cells to make a diagnosis of what might be causing it. He has put on a bit of weight since last week and they are hoping that he'll recover a bit more for more tests for a successful diagnosis or before a blood transfusion is necessary. He is having an Xray / MRI on Friday to check for any tumors etc. He is sleepy but happy enough and he is obviously getting spoilt with attention from us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted January 25, 2010 Report Share Posted January 25, 2010 It's a tough one. He's had a good innings and is now probably in the top percentile of Jack Russels for his age. I think you maybe just staving off the inevitable. The weigh up is going to be his quality of life. I think it's probably going to be a question of getting him drugged up, well fed and at home now. P.S. Don't give him any of your blood - I don't think its got to that just yet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyska Posted January 25, 2010 Report Share Posted January 25, 2010 Kyska He has been eating mud, which is a common sign of Anaemia, I believe. Apart from that we did have some small mushrooms toadstools / fungii in the garden a few months ago. Not sure if he might have eaten them Just looked at the Pet Insurance and it isnt worth a toss, that's another life lesson learnt! The vet is injecting him with a steroid as he is bad at the best of times with tablets. He has been given some vitamin water and special food. He had blood and urine tests but they both came back as severe anaemia - to the extent that they cant get enough red cells to make a diagnosis of what might be causing it. He has put on a bit of weight since last week and they are hoping that he'll recover a bit more for more tests for a successful diagnosis or before a blood transfusion is necessary. He is having an Xray / MRI on Friday to check for any tumors etc. He is sleepy but happy enough and he is obviously getting spoilt with attention from us. Has he been ill for a while then? Getting out of breath, sleepy etc? The vitamins will be B complexes. Don't give up on the insurance, ring them and find out, bloody people, they make me mad. You're doing all the right things, more than a lot of owners. He sounds terribly anaemic, they are most likely looking for 'young' red blood cells, which will give the vet a starting point, if there are none, he obviously isn't producing red blood cells, which isn't good I'm afraid. All the best mate, let us know what happens eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ME Posted January 25, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2010 Has he been ill for a while then? Getting out of breath, sleepy etc? He has been losing weight for a month or so and sleeping more. We took him to the vets around October last year due to heavy breathing / snoring. The vet just said that he is old and his airways are restricting. Apart from that the vet said he was very healthy. The vitamins will be B complexes. Don't give up on the insurance, ring them and find out, bloody people, they make me mad. You're doing all the right things, more than a lot of owners. He sounds terribly anaemic, they are most likely looking for 'young' red blood cells, which will give the vet a starting point, if there are none, he obviously isn't producing red blood cells, which isn't good I'm afraid. All the best mate, let us know what happens eh? Yes, they have said that he is very anaemic and his gums are near white. He seemed to perk up after the last steroid so I hope that this one will getting him eating more again. thanks mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyska Posted January 25, 2010 Report Share Posted January 25, 2010 He has been losing weight for a month or so and sleeping more. We took him to the vets around October last year due to heavy breathing / snoring. The vet just said that he is old and his airways are restricting. Apart from that the vet said he was very healthy. Yes, they have said that he is very anaemic and his gums are near white. He seemed to perk up after the last steroid so I hope that this one will getting him eating more again. thanks mate. Hopefully mate, keep him warm (Very important), and let him eat as much as he can and ring your insurers, if you get any grief off them speak to your vet, if you have a good relationship a phonecall from a vet can do wonders, they know the score and so do the insurers, even if it isn't financially motivated. Bless him, Pm if you need any moral support. All the best. Kyska Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mec 9000 Posted January 26, 2010 Report Share Posted January 26, 2010 Can't advise what to do other than trust your Vet to do the right thing by the dog. Ask your vet what might be causing the anaemia and the prognosis. The bone marrow may for whatever reason not be producing enough red cells or it could be producing well only to have them destroyed by the autoimmune system of the dog, a condition known as auto immune haemolytic anaemia where the white cells in destroying an antigen attached to the red cells also destroy the red cells in greater numbers than would naturaly happen. The treatment with steroids, usually prednisone, suppresses the immune system and can effect remission in AIHA but in a lot of cases the illness returns. Only your vet will know what to advise. Hope everything goes well for you and the dog. Gerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
optymax Posted January 26, 2010 Report Share Posted January 26, 2010 having had many dogs some living to nearly 14 in my opinion your dogs on borrowed time but i hope you all the best just think on this one comment and you will be ok who are you keeping the dog going for ?? the dog or your self ?? hope it works out well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted January 26, 2010 Report Share Posted January 26, 2010 Me I'd let them try and get him back to health but unless there is an underlying reason for the transfusin i wouldn't go that far. i can see if its to treat something like poisoning but not for anything else. He's 12 and presumably has been going downhill for a while so make him comfortable and while he still enjoys things keep him going then do whats best for him. Its hard but I'm very sceptical of putting old dogs through much veterinary treatment and its not just cost related though of course that is a factor. A 12 year old dog isn't going to get younger and messing him arround too much isn't in his best interests. As for the Insurance I can't say I'm that surprised though you must have been getting clobbered for him at 12 as most try and make it too expensive to keep paying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ME Posted February 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2010 Thanks for all your kind replies. In the end nothing could be done for him and keeping him going was unfair. Ollie dog has passed away this afternoon and there isnt a dry eye in the house. Twelve years is a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted February 5, 2010 Report Share Posted February 5, 2010 have a drink tonight for him in the knowledge you've done the right thing in his best interests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted February 5, 2010 Report Share Posted February 5, 2010 Yep, Have a drink to him and long may he Rest In Peace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 9R Posted February 5, 2010 Report Share Posted February 5, 2010 Feel for you and your family MC, never easy but best for your companion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kev 1 Posted February 5, 2010 Report Share Posted February 5, 2010 I feel for you, I was taking my dog to the vet last saturday to be put down, but she died on the way.... It his very sad and you dont realise how sad till it happens to your own dog, mine was 11 years old aswell.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.