05/02/2025
Everyone loves 🐾
Watch our previous post to see Mickey reunited with his family after being hospitalized at VERG for Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia also known as IMHA.
IMHA is a disease in which the body’s immune system attacks and destroys its own red blood cells. The process occurs when antibodies attach to and target the animal’s own red blood cells for destruction. When red blood cells are destroyed faster than they can be replaced by the bone marrow, a drop in the amount of red blood cells occurs. A low red blood cell account is anemia. Typical signs of IMHA in dogs include weakness/lethargy, pale mucous membranes, increased heart rate, jaundice (yellow discoloration of the gums, sclera of eye, and skin as a result of destruction of red blood cells overwhelming the liver), bounding pulses and discolored urine.
Dogs with IMHA often require long periods of immunosuppressive therapy before a complete remission is achieved. If remission is achieved, a relapse is still possible and is more difficult to control. And some do not respond to therapy at all or cannot be controlled when they relapse.
Seeing Mickey improve with the medical expertise of our Critical Care team over the past 3 days is utter joy!
