When a Healthy Dog Suddenly Isn’t: Brie’s Fight to Come Home

Just days before everything changed, Brie was exactly who she had always been. Playful, energetic, and completely obsessed with her toys.

So when Brie didn’t want to eat, her family knew something was wrong.

She skipped a meal, something she had never done before. Then she vomited her dinner from the night before. Maybe it was something simple, like a stomach bug. But it didn’t feel right.

At their local veterinary clinic, bloodwork revealed something far more serious. Brie’s red blood cell count was dangerously low. She was suspected to have immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, or IMHA, a life-threatening condition where the body destroys its own red blood cells. She was started on medication, but it quickly became clear she wasn’t improving.

Her energy faded. Her gums turned pale. A yellow tint crept into her eyes.

Her family was told she needed a blood transfusion and to get to DoveLewis as soon as possible. They live on the Oregon coast, nearly two hours from Portland, but there was no time to wait. They got Brie into the car and began the drive, hoping she would hold on.

By the time they arrived, she was critically ill. Brie had to be brought in on a gurney because she was too weak to walk.

Her red blood cell count had dropped so low that her body was not getting the oxygen it needed to survive. She needed a blood transfusion right away.

And that is where another dog became part of her story.

Through the DoveLewis Blood Bank, a lifesaving match was ready. A donor dog named Penny had given blood that was carefully collected, processed, and ready for the moment a patient like Brie would need it most.

Brie received not one, but two blood transfusions.

Those transfusions gave her body the oxygen it desperately needed and, just as importantly, gave her time. Time for our team to begin immunosuppressive therapy. Time for her body to stabilize. Time to fight.

IMHA is unpredictable and often devastating. Even with treatment, there are no guarantees. For Brie’s family, the hours that followed were filled with fear and uncertainty as they waited and hoped for signs that she would respond.

Slowly, she did.

After two nights in the ICU, Brie stabilized. She was strong enough to go home.

In the days that followed, as the fear began to settle into relief, her family shared,
“The DoveLewis team was amazing, effective, efficient, knowledgeable, and kind throughout the entire experience. I can honestly say that Brie would not be alive today if it weren’t for the DoveLewis team.”

Today, Brie is back to doing what she loves most, shredding toys and turning them into tug-of-war games.

Her recovery continues with medication and careful monitoring, but she is here, and she is home.

And her story is about more than medicine.

It is about everything that came together when she needed it most. A family who acted quickly. Her primary veterinarian who knew exactly where to send her for lifesaving care. A skilled emergency and ICU team. And a blood donor she will likely never meet.

A dog named Penny.

Every donation to the DoveLewis Blood Bank helps save lives. For Brie, it meant a second chance. For her family, it meant more time, more memories, and more moments of joy.

And for Penny, it was simply a chance to help another dog in need.