Split: Split: For Hope and Steve

[admin]

Hi Hope

I love the picture of your gorgeous boys! I’m just catching up with today and am so pleased that your vet is so optimistic about Steve. That’s brilliant news. I agree with you about the reduction and I think it’s too fast. The others can probably advise you further on this and I know it is difficult when the vet wants to do something different, but he’s your pup and if you aren’t happy, stick to your guns! Is Steve suffering any serious side effects from his pred? If not, there’s no need to do such a rapid reduction. You could also contact Dr Dodds for advice if you aren’t sure what to do.

Good to hear he’s taken fecal and urine samples too, just to be on the safe side.

Keep up the great work Mr Steve (and Dr Hope!). You are doing so well!

Mary & Mable x

[Hope]

Hey Mary!

Knock on wood (i.e. Husbands head), Steve really hasn’t had bad side effects.. He’s had the intermittent diarrhea that I freak out about and his breathing is really weird sometimes, particularly when he’s sleeping (it’s really deep and he knocks out – it’s hard to wake him up). I think husband keeps telling the doctor about that since he’s the one that always brings Steve in. There’s the peepee in thebed thing   but I don’t worry about that .. If the urine sample comes back clear, I’ll be thrilled! He seems to be a little more unsteady on his feet now – he used to leap around, like Steve never walked or ran. Rather, he would throw himself across the room from furniture to furniture. He’s not doing that anymore and he stumbles every so often when he’s going up the stairs. But besides that.. No awful side effects. I agree I don’t see the need to rush things.

I did email dr dodds to ask what she thought about it .ill keep everyone posted!

Thanks so much everyone!

Hope, Steve and Stink bug

[Hope]

Dr. Dodds wrote back and said she thinks we should go from 50mg/day (25mg BID) to 40mg/day (20mg BID) for 5-7 days, then 30mg/day (15mg BID) for the next 5-7 days, etc etc.

[admin]

Hope – Dr Dodds has my vote, although being a conservative pred lowerer, the timescale looks pretty quick – I would go for a once a week (7 days) reduction if you don’t mind me saying – that was what we did with Worzel & that was fast enough for my liking (a scary time), but that is my personal opinion obviously. He was in an awful state & it had to be done.  Mary is right – he’s your dog – use your gut instincts as no-one knows him as well as you do. And they are tougher than you think – Worzel is a right wimp in many ways, but he fought like a trooper through this.

Be sure to get blood tests immediately before & a few days after & be vigilant on gum checking – you will spot any problems that way & can put the dose back up if necessary. You may see withdrawal symptoms with fast withdrawal – please read the AIHA terms on pred

https://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/AIHA_Terms/prednisone/

also

https://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/AIHA_Terms/addisonian-crisis/

Don’t get worried – just be aware of what to look out for. Worzel suffered pretty horribly with his fast withdrawal, so just ask us if you are worried about anything at all – that’s what we’re here for.

Steve’s breathing sounds like the pred to me – Worzel was often zonked out when he slept (that is a technical term you know!) & had heavy breathing as well. I always slept with my hand on his chest to make sure he was still with us & often resorted to a bit of poking to make sure – poor dog. Just look out for any breathing difficulty or coughing though, as that could mean a problem. The muscle loss makes them prone to tripping up, being wobbly & weak too. That will pass when you reduce the dose.

Good luck! You are doing one fantastic job with Steve – let us know how he’s doing. Glad stinky bott is fine – he’s very, very cute too!

Love & cuddles, Sheena, Worzel & Ollie xxxx

[Vally]

Hope, Sheena has said it all.  I too am a conservative pred lowerer (thinking of starting a new club – branch of the paranoid pet owners club). The breathing – ditto – it goes back to normal when the pred is cut down.

Also the weakness, Bingo would fall over all the time at his worse.  Today, he still has some issues in that he can’t jump up on the couch or bed any more.  Back legs have never recovered their full strength, but that’s okay. He just barks or gives me “the look” and I jump to attention.

Love Vally & Bingo

[admin]

Hope,

I would never question Dr. Dodds advice. maybe there is a reason she is suggesting these reductions? Has she seen the blood results? From my limited knowledge i know that these first reductions can be done faster, the adrenal glands still get enough cortisol from the prednisone. Nobody can really say when the point is that they are waking up and are supposed to make their own cortisol. At that point you want to go very slow with the reductions. I don’t know if I am making sense with that explanation. All I am saying is I would trust Dr. Dodds advice. Slow reductions are good but sometimes it is also good to get the dog off the high doses asap.

Since you are also dealing with the bladder stones and dietary issues, I would ask Dr. Dodds for input on that. I am always happy to hear she is in the picture.

Best wishes,

Brigitte

[admin]

PS: I love the picture of Steve and Winston! They are buddies for sure. I have two Standard Poodles Enzo and Ripley. Ripley went camping for a few days with our daughter and Enzo is a bit lost. I guess playing with me is not quite the same as running with his poodle brother. And btw Winston Churchill never had a bulldog but a  poodle:) Smart man!

http://thepoodleanddogblog.typepad.com/the_poodle_and_dog_blog/2008/05/the-poodles-of-winston-churchill.html

 

Brigitte

[Hope]

Hello all!

This is the longest I’ve gone writing since I found this wonderful haven.. school is officially exhausting me lol and since today was the first day of Steve’s taper, I’ve been watching him like a hawk. Literally. Since I’ve been home, I’ve been eye to eye staring at him, checking his gums and poking him. He actually seems like he feels well because he keeps trying to run up and down and romp around. I have to lay down almost on top of him to get him to stay still. If i even sit up, he’s up and trying to explore. He gave husband a scare today though because when he took him out for a potty break, he threw himself over on his side to roll around in the grass. He’s definitely lost some of his coordination because before he would have laid down and then rolled.. today he went from standing to thumping over on his side.

Actually, I think I discovered why the internal med doctor is being so liberal with tapering Steve’s meds down, besides the fact that he’s responded quickly. Hubby told me today as an afterthought (MENNN!) that he told the doctor that Steve’s physique so to speak is becoming very dysmorphic. He has always been very lean looking and has a narrow little waist. However, even with all his food obsessing and eating, no weight has gone there. Instead his rib cage/thorax is getting wider, really rounder. So he’s kind of got this odd big round ball-looking thorax and any itty bitty waist. Hubby also said he told the vet that his face is all sunken in looking.. I don’t see that it looks that bad personally. I think him telling this to the vet maybe made the vet think that the physical side effects of the Pred are becoming worse maybe.

I know everyone is going to be worried with me (and believe me, I am super unhappy about this) but after much debating (read: arguing) and going back and forth with hubby last night I agreed to try Steve on the 30mg (15mg BID) Pred instead of 40mg. We debated about it forever and I told him that Dr. Dodds agreed on 40mg. He feels like our internal med vet hasn’t steered us wrong yet and that I need to give him a chance to do his job. He said that the vet was super optimistic, engaged and excited yesterday about Steve and his progress so I should give him a chance. I agreed only because Steve is due back Friday AM for a check up and we agreed that if the PCV ain’t great, the meds are going up to 40mg for sure. This is why I have been glued to Steve’s side since I got home from class today, checking his gums, tinkles, BMs, whites of his eyes, etc. constantly.

I hope everyone isn’t upset with me — trust me when i say i would be much more comfortable right now (and actually sleeping tonight) if we were at 40mg, just because y’all have all agreed with that, as well as Dr. Dodds. I am trying to behave though and not be a backseat driver so to speak. However, if I see anything at all amiss, Steve will be into the hospital in no time. Please please send us good vibes!!

xoxo Hope and Steve