Successful steroid tapering and partial treatment of suspected immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia in a dog with equine placenta extract supplementation: A case report

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 semel in die [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.