NALA

 BeeBee and Nala came to me in mid-January.   Their owner had turned them into the shelter because they were having seizures.  At first, we thought it was just BeeBee.  But, it turned out that Nala also had seizures and they were much worse.   She had cluster seizures and had to be in the vet to get them under control. 

  Some of you remember Lexie, my foster girl who died in July 2015.  Can you see that her tongue is pale?   Lexie was very sick when I got her and she was diagnosed with IMHA-- Immune Mediated Hymolytic Anemia.   This is a blood disease where the body attacks its own blood cells and destroys them.   

We tried everything to save Lexie.  She was on a lot of medication.  She had three blood transfusions.   She would rally and then crash.  It was a hard 13 months of trying to save her life.   Many dogs with IMHA lose the battle.  Lexie was a little warrior, but she lost the battle.   Here is a link on this:  Canine Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA)

 Last Saturday, I noticed that Nala's tongue was a little pale.  After having Lexie, I notice things like this.   So, I took her to the vet just to get a quick iron level check. 

 Maybe she was just low on iron and needed supplements.  I waited while they ran the tests.   I said they could call me at home since it was probably nothing.  But, after checking with the vet, they put us in a room.   It was "not nothing." 

 Nala was sick and had to be admitted.   Not only did they suspect IMHA, but her red blood cells AND her white blood cells AND her platelet counts were extremely low.   She needed immediate attention.   I went to get her on Monday, when she could come home and be on oral meds.   They ran another blood test before we left and sent it to the pathologist.   Hoping that it came back better-- we had our fingers crossed.   

 The tests came back.   Nala has not only IMHA, but she also has ITP (Immune-Mediated Thrombocytopenia), which is a low platelet count.  (She can bleed very easily, but this hasn't happened yet.)  These two combined are called Evans Syndrome.   Her pathologist report said she was "non-regenerative" which meant her body could not make more cells.   For now, she is on meds.   After having Lexie, and fighting so hard, and watching her suffer, I knew a lot I would NOT do again.   I knew after Lexie I would never put another dog through all that Lexie went through.   Not only is it extremely expensive, but most dogs lose the battle.   So, Nala is here with her sister, BeeBee.   She is on medication (2) for her seizures, and she is now on medication for Evans Syndrome. 

She is the happiest dog.  She love love loves Sugar Bit.   She loves to be on my lap.  We will retest her blood next week and see if there are any changes.   I am committed to them both to keep them as happy as I can for as long as Nala has.   We have no idea how long she has, it could be short or long.   But, we will keep her comfortable.  For now, she acts like she is fine.   She is happy, she is loved. 
If you want to help with Nala's care, please put "Starlight Fund/Nala" on your donation.   I'll do everything I can to assure her is happy and loved.