My dog has IMHA. Should he still receive his annual vaccinations?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Happy. I typically will not vaccinate a dog that has had a significant immune mediated disease such as IMHA. However, each case is different. Rabies is typically 100% fatal if a pet acquires it. So deciding to vaccinate also needs to consider Happy's risk factors for exposure. I hope this information helps!

I am sorry to hear about your loss. There are some studies about the relationship between vaccinations and IMHA (immune mediated hemolytic anemia). Unfortunately even though theoretically there may be a link between the two, that has not been confirmed from an scientific point of view. It is more likely that Ehrlichia was linked to the IMHA even though more commonly Ehrlichia causes immune mediate thrombocytopenia. It is hard to say if it should have been retested, even without clinical signs of the disease. For sure it should have been retested when IMHA was evident. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation (where you can post pictures ) if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Poor Chantilly, i am sure you are quite worried about her. If your girl has IMHA what this means is that her body is attacking and destroying her own red blood cells. If enough are lost it will make her anemic which can cause the symptoms you report. IMHA can arise without a cause (idiopathic) but many diseases can also cause it as well (secondary IMHA) and low red count is not always IMHA (low red count just means we need to find out where they went or if the body is not producing them). The safest plan would be to have her red count rechecked to see if this is contributing to her symptoms. Pets with IMHA are treated with pred typically but other meds can be used and some cases are more severe then others. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

By IMT I assume you mean immune mediated thrombocytopenia? Usually this disorder is treated with immune suppressing medications, which in theory would make them more susceptible to infections. I hope this answers your question. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am glad that Peper is better! Yes, he should start vaccines (DHPP and Rabies) when better and follow the recommend vaccine schedule your Vet provides. I hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am so sorry about your husband! I hope you are doing better. Blueboy will be fine! He can get his rabies and restart his distemper combo series. He'll likely get 2 of them 3 weeks apart. Once he finishes those vaccines he'll be protected for the next year. I hope this helps and I wish you well!

Hello. A lot depends on what might be considered a problem in your area. For example, there have only been sporadic outbreaks across the country of Canine Influenza, & Lymes Disease is more of an issue east of the Mississippi. The AVMA considers the core or necessary vaccinations Rabies, Distemper, Adenovirus & Parvovirus, all of which can be given every 1, 2 or 3 years. You need to discuss this with your veterinarian as to what they see in their other patients, & also what you are comfortable with given your lifestyle with Cloud. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.