Immune-mediated hemolytic anemia. It's happening AGAIN. Beanie.

ldg

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Yes, the former ferals are still in the back bedroom. Yes, we have decided to integrate them. But that's a different story. Sort of. What's happening with Bean is part of the reason why. :heart2:

A week ago Friday, I noticed Bean seemed ... subdued. Excited for the meal, but not really eating. Not too odd, I leave the (canned) food out, and they eat it as they please. But he wasn't playing like normal. I thought perhaps it was because all of the da Bird feather ends had been destroyed and he didn't like the mouse end or the Neko Flies toys as much.

But I wasn't sure. So I separated him to monitor intake and output. Well, he was eating nothing. Monday morning, off to the vet. He was running a fever and ANEMIC. His hematocrit was 15%. His reticulocyte count was low normal, not off the charts. His bone marrow was not compensating for the anemia. This is what Sheldon's blood work looked like.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My mind was reeling. Sheldon died 11 days after his first symptoms. He did not respond to immune suppression, and his bone marrow biopsy showed his bone marrow was "ineffective."

Tuxedo, Sheldon's full brother, fought this for 7 years. His developed when he was two, and he's been in remission 4 years. Shel's developed and caused his death at 13.

Beanie is two. But he is a feral from the same RV park Shel and Tux are from. Though IMHA is not thought to have a genetic component, our vets now think there must be, in our case. It is 11 years since Tux and Shel were born, but many ferals later, many that just disappeared. Who knows if more have passed from this? :bawling:

With Shel, we followed protocol. He got a bone marrow biopsy and a transfusion. It wasn't enough. So for Bean, we said - forget protocol. It didn't work for Shel, it didn't work for Tuxedo. What worked for Tuxedo was stuff that wasn't supposed to work. Just do that. Give him a shot of depomedrol and a shot of epigen. That's what the vet did. He also got fluids as he was dehydrated.

The next day, his hematocrit rose to 18%. I started him on regular Transfer Factor as well, and gave him some Yunnan Baiyao, just in case the x-rays couldn't see an abscess. I syringe fed him as he did not respond to appetite stimulants.

On Thursday, his HCT was 21%!!! :woohoo:

He seems to be doing very well. He's playful, bright, and otherwise seemingly normal.

But now I have to worry that any of the cats from that gene pool are ticking time bombs, basically. Flowerbelle and Ming Loy are not from the RV park. Baloo is a transplant. Smokey likely is as well. So originally 16 cats, four from a different gene pool. Of 12 cats, THREE have experienced this. Unbelievable.

We go for the hematocrit recheck on Monday. He'll get his 3rd shot of epigen. Thank goodness, his appetite is finally back. Based on his behavior and appetite, I expect his HCT will be up again. But based on my experience with this disease, he isn't out of the woods yet.

:vibes: :vibes: :vibes: :vibes: :vibes:
 

mrsgreenjeens

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Well, thank goodness that (short term anyway) he appears to be on the mend


I STILL content the RV park is built on top of a toxic waste dump.  I mean, really,...3 cats with this issue, and 2 with Lymphoma.  That is just WAY TOO MUCH.  

That Bean's HCT keeps rising, and that it STAYS where it belongs, and that none of the others get this
 
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ldg

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And Gary's situation!!!!

We go for the recheck at 3:00. I expect it to be better. His behavior says this is working. My goodness it would be nice if it were this easy, knock wood.
 
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ldg

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Bean's HCT recheck: Hematocrit UP from 21% to 24%! Reticulocytes - UP! His bone marrow is adjusting to being anemic. This is VERY, very good news. He is cranking out new red blood cells. BUT his fever went up from 103.6 to 104. White blood cell counts are all normal. The IMHA can cause a fever though it shouldn't last this long. Given the immune-suppressive dose of steroids, we'll try an antibiotic. I prefer to avoid them, but he's had the fever at least a week now. We'll be using zenequin.
 

mrsgreenjeens

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Well, it's good his HCT is up...wonder about the fever.  Maybe an underlying infection somewhere? 



(and YES, I forgot all about Gary's issue when referring to a possible toxic waste dump
.  I'm completely serious.  Has anyone ever checked into that?  How IS Gary anyway
 
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