Hunter received his 3rd ProHeart6 shot on August 28, 2003. On October 9th,  I noticed his gums were very pale.  Also, he had lost weight, which all his life he had gained and lost according to how much he played.  I made appointment to bring him in that morning.  Shortly after than he happened to pee near me and I saw that it looked like rusty water.  PANIC

I got him to vet. Hunter had lost 9 pounds in 5 weeks. His temp was 103.6.  He was admitted.  Later I got the call......."autoimmune hemolytic anemia".  I went to see him at 5:30.  He was hooked up to IV or antibiotic and vitamins.  He was on Prednisone.  His HTC was 20 instead of at leat 37.  His platlet count was almost zilch.  This was a Thursday.  I was in to see him 3 times Friday, taking him boiled chicken each time.  I even took his favorite ball and put it in his large cage in the ICU.  They close at noon on Sat. but I was there at opening, just before they closed and it was set up for me to come at 6:00 for feeding & meds, and "outdoor time".  Blood work was done twice a day  His HTC was dropping.  I went in early Sunday morning for morning feeding and meds.  Was suppose to come back at 6:00 for late ones.  But about 3:00 the vet called and said they were having to give Hunter a transfusion and I could come if I wanted to.  His HTC had dropped to 9.7 (he should have been dead) and he HAD to have blood.  I spent about an hour there and took him out to do his business, etc

I opened the door and sat on the edge.  Hunter put his head against my chest and was some what steadied by that.  I brushed him for over an hour telling him how beautiful he was... how precious..... how special... and how much I loved him.  I would kiss the top of his head and he would stop jerking. 

I knew in my heart that he would not make it til morning.  Three times I went to the front desk to leave, but each time went back to tell him again how much I loved him.  The vets office closed at 7:00, but it was 7:15 when I finally left.  At 9:02 PM I got the call. 

My Hunter had died at 8:40, October 16, 2003. 

My vet knew I was alone and he said he would keep Hunter for me until I could get someone to pick him up.  The vet said because of cancer running in families,  since we also had Hunter's sister, he had done a simple necropsy and found cancer in liver, spleen, and stomach.  But that he had also taken tissue samples and was sending them to Texas A&M for testing.

The next day, my son and my brother buried Hunter in our back yard.  There his spirit can still chase squirrels and he can watch over his sister. 

Several days later my vet called and said the results were back from A&M..... IT WAS NOT CANCER. 

Everyone at the hospital fell in love with Hunter.  The women at the reception desk would take him treats and pet on him.  One of the techs discovered he liked ice in his water and they would all put ice in his water.  One day when I was there one of the off duty techs came in just to see him.  I heard the same story from them all.  Hunter never tried to get the IV out of his leg, he never gave them any problem with drawing blood from his neck twice a day, he never refused to go back in his cage when he had been taken out, he never howled or carried on. 

All three doctors that worked on him, would check on him on their days off.  After his death I got a card and they had written such nice things as "he was such a special dog"  "I came to really love him"  "We miss him so much."  I think that says it all about what kind of special dog he was.

Even though my vet has not yet come to agree with me, I know it was the ProHeart 6 shot that caused the AIHA that caused Hunter's death.  Hunter was a healthy, active 4 year 2 month old dog.  Six weeks after his 3rd injection, he was dead.  My vet is checking into the drug now. 

If you have not used ProHeart 6........ DON'T. 

If you have........ QUIT. 

I miss my precious boy so much‚ I cry every day, even as I write this.

  I LOVE you Petey!