Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Successful steroid tapering and partial treatment of suspected immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia in a dog with equine placenta extract supplementation: A case report.
- Journal:
- Open veterinary journal
- Year:
- 2023
- Authors:
- Kotoku, Sachiko et al.
- Affiliation:
- Kotoku Animal Hospital · Japan
Plain-English summary
An 11-year-old dog was diagnosed with suspected immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, a condition where the body destroys its own red blood cells. Initially, the dog was treated with prednisone, a steroid, but this treatment wasn't very effective, and the dog remained very tired. After starting supplements made from equine placenta, the dog's energy improved, and although its red blood cell levels continued to drop at first, they eventually began to rise and stayed close to normal for about two years. The dog was able to reduce its steroid use significantly while on these supplements, suggesting that equine placental extract could be a helpful additional treatment for this condition.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: We report on the clinical management and outcome of an 11-year-old dog diagnosed with suspected refractory immune-mediated anemia (IMHA) and treated with equine placental extract supplementation. CASE DESCRIPTION: The patient had received standard treatment with subcutaneous infusion of prednisone (2 mg/kg) and oral administration (1.3 mg/kg[sid]), with limited success as hematocrit (HCT) values continued to fall rapidly, and the patient continued to have severe symptoms of fatigue. The patient was then put on equine placental extract supplements, after which the patient's physical exhaustion was improved, and although the HCT level initially continued to fall, it eventually began to rise and remained near normal for approximately 2 years. A significant reduction in prednisone use was achieved with placental supplementation. CONCLUSION: Equine placental supplementation may be useful as a new complementary therapy for suspected refractory IMHA.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37304605/