Published: 09 Apr 2021 | Last Updated: 09 Apr 2021 10:00:07

When Pheobe the Cocker Spaniel was diagnosed with immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia (IMHA), her owners, Lynne and Alexis, wanted to raise awareness of this terrible illness and support research looking for better treatment and even a cure.

Now into their third year of fundraising, they have raised over £7,000 through hosting their very own online dog show! Lynne and Alexis talk us through their journey with Phoebe, and why they are fundraising for the RVC Animal Care Trust:

“Phoebe is eleven years old and is a retired show dog and mum. She has always been a very healthy and happy dog, until IMHA struck in July 2018.

“Phoebe had been off her food the night before which was very unusual. She was taken to the vets as her gums were quite pale and she was kept at the vets on IV fluids to have blood tests done. Phoebe was given a blood transfusion at 2am the following morning as her bloods were dangerously low. The vet did say that her body would probably reject the transfusion but hopefully the steroid treatment would have kicked in by then. She was taken back to her own vet for the day for monitoring and then back to the vet school for night-time monitoring.

“Phoebe was allowed home as there was some improvement, but was readmitted shortly after for another transfusion. X-rays and scans followed to check her organs as this disease can cause organ failure. Phoebe is home now and doing well, she still has to go back every few days to have her bloods checked but our fingers are crossed that she has beaten this terrible disease as the recovery rate is only 50%.

“At this point we decided that we wanted to do everything we could to help other dogs who had this awful illness, something we had never heard of before. We decided to try to raise funds for research. The small animal hospital in Glasgow where Phoebe was treated was contacted, but they only took funds for general illnesses. I then contacted the RVC Animal Care Trust to find out that they had an ongoing research programme into IMHA.

“We began fundraising in 2018 with sales of purpose made dog snoods and bandanas and pet shows. Our efforts in 2018 managed £1,000 for the research. In 2019 we increased our fundraising by making home-made jams and chutneys to sell at dog shows and local markets. We managed to exceed our £2,000 for the year!

“At the beginning of 2020, we had some great fundraising results at dog shows and local markets, then came the lockdown. So, the question is, what do we do now? Thanks to a very good friend’s suggestion, Lynne began hosting her own online dog shows – and what a difference this made. The online dog shows have so far raised over £7,000!”

Phebe’s Online Dog Show happens every two weeks. The next show starts on Sunday 11th April, and runs until the following Saturday. To find out more and get involved, visit the Online Dog Show Facebook page.

Thanks to your help we are able to improve the treatment and care of animals through clinical practices, education and research at the Royal Veterinary College. Please donate to our ongoing work and make a difference to the thousands of pets and animals cared for each year.