Non-regenerative Immune-mediated Anemia in a Dog Treated with Human Intravenous Immunoglobulin

• Published in: Journal of Animal Clinical Medicine Vol. 20; no. 3; pp. 89 - 93
• Main Authors: TAKAHASHI, Yoshiaki, HIRAKAWA, Atsushi, OHMICHI, Yoshihiro, YAMAMOTO, Naoto, TANAKA, Mirei, YOSHIDA, Mitsuhiro, OHTSUKA, Kouhei, KUWAHARA, Kei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: Japanese Society of Clinical Veterinary Medicine 2011
• Subjects: dog; human intravenous immunoglobulin; non-regenerative immune-mediated anemia
• ISSN: 1344-6991; 1881-1574
• DOI: 10.11252/dobutsurinshoigaku.20.89

A ten-year-three-month-old castrated miniature dachshund was brought in because of lethargy and anorexia beginning one month previously. Severe non-regenerative anemia and mild thrombocytopenia were checked by complete blood count. Bone marrow aspirate showed erythroid hyperplasia, decrease in the number of cells following the orthochromatic erythroblast stage, and phagocytosis of red blood cells by mononuclear cells. Based on these findings, the disease was diagnosed as non-regenerative immune-mediated anemia. As pulse therapy with methylprednisolone was not effective, we administered human intravenous immunoglobulin and cyclosporine, which resulted in the rise of packed cell volume (PCV). Afterward this immunosuppressive therapy, mainly with cyclosporine, was continued for about five months, during which the dog's condition was good. On the 173rd day, the disease recurred, but this time human immunoglobulin was not very effective. Beginning on day 210, cyclosporine and an additional medicine, azathioprine, were administered, but the anemia continued for more than four months. From day 349 on, PCV improved, and the dog has been in good condition since then.