Introduction
Auto-immune mediated hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is a condition that results from a destruction of red blood cells creating a severely low red blood cell count. Treatment is aggressive and ultimately determined based on the underlying cause of AIHA. The main goal of treatment is to decrease the red blood cell destruction while maintaining your dog's health until his red blood cell supply can be replenished.
Treating AIHA in Dogs
If your dog's AIHA has already reached a life threatening stage, blood transfusions may be necessary to stabilize him in order to give time to determine the primary cause of the condition.
However, blood transfusions can be dangerous as it adds more cells for the immune system to destroy. Once a diagnosis of the cause has been made, additional treatment measures will be put into place.
Drug therapy has proven to be an effective treatment of AIHA. Your veterinarian may prescribe a corticosteroid, like prednisone or dexamethasone to slow down the destruction of red blood cells. These medications are given in immunosupressive doses either by injection or by mouth. These types of medications are successful because when your dog has AIHA his immune system is essentially attacking itself. Therefore immunosuppressive measures help to curb this destructive process.
If your dog's condition does not improve, stronger immunosuppressive drugs could be added to the course of therapy. These might include drugs such as azathioprine and/or cyclophosphamide. These are usually not used as a first choice of treatment because of their potential for greater side effects.
Intense treatment is necessary for a good outcome in dogs suffering from AIHA. In mild cases, full recovery may be possible. In more serious diagnoses, long term or lifelong treatment may be necessary. Relapses are common. If the condition is a result of a serious primary disease, the prognosis is dependent on the underlying disorder. Only a veterinarian can determine the most effective course of treatment for a dog suffering from AIHA.