Articles with IMHA complications

IMHA Complications in a Dog: Whitney’s Lost Battle

Immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA) is a condition in which the dog’s immune system attacks its own red blood cells. If severe anemia wasn’t bad enough, IMHA is notorious for its complications. The most common complication is thromboembolic disease. As a result, blood can clot within vital organs and cause difficulty breathing and even sudden death. Source: South Carolina Veterinary Specialists Thank…

by Jana Rade

Canine IMHA Complications: Daphne Didn’t Make It

Daphne, she was struggling with Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA). The path to her diagnosis was not straight. It took a visit to a specialist to determine what was behind Daphne’s symptoms. Daphne’s decline After she was started on the correct treatment, Daphne was showing signs of improvement but then the complications started. Daphne’s belly became distended. She was brought to…

by Jana Rade

Jana Rade

I am a graphic designer by day, dog health advocate, dog writer, member of the Dog Writers Association of America, and an award-winning author in my spare time. Jasmine, the Rottweiler of my life, was the largest female from her litter. We thought we were getting a healthy dog. Getting a puppy from a backyard breeder was our first mistake. Endless veterinary visits without a diagnosis or useful treatment later, I realized that I had to take Jasmine's health care into my own hands. I learned the hard way that simply seeing a vet is not always enough. There is more to finding a good vet than finding the closest clinic down the street. And, sadly, there is more to advocating for your dog's health than visiting a veterinarian. It should be enough, but it often is not. With Jasmine, it took five years to finally get a diagnosis for her initial issue. Unfortunately, other problems had snowballed for that in the meantime. Jasmine's health challenges became a crash course in understanding dog health issues and how to go about getting a proper diagnosis and treatment. I had to learn, and I had to learn fast. Helping others through my challenges and experience has become my mission and Jasmine's legacy. I now try to help people recognize and understand signs of illness in their dogs, how to work with their veterinarian, and when to seek a second opinion. My goal is to use 20 years of hard-earned experience to save others from the steep curve of having to learn things the hard way, as I did.

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