LylasMom
07-01-2015, 11:26 PM
I’m hoping someone has some experiences to share about Iatrogenic Cushings and recovery once the prednisone has been withdrawn. My golden retriever Lyla was 5 years old when she was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy. She is the love of my life. She’s 10 now. A year ago she was diagnosed with severe IBD after she lost 6 pounds in 4 weeks. I thought she was going to die. She started prednisone and Azathioprine to suppress her immune system. Her intestines were badly damaged and she needed high doses of prednisone for months.
It took some time but she managed to kick the IBD and looked wonderful last fall. But in January of this year she had three seizures in one day. Then she began having one or two a week. She used to just have one every 4-6 weeks. A visit with a neurologist and more medication didn’t help. Then she began having “episodes” in the middle of the night where she would walk in circles and go in the closet and stare at the wall. The episodes were preceded by massive shaking in her hind end. Then the severe ataxia really began, her appetite was terrible, her stomach was bloated and she didn’t want to be near people or be brushed. She was acting like a dog who was trying to slip away and die. The skin on her tummy turned black and flaked off. Strangest was that she reabsorbed her fatty tumors! She had five of them ranging in size from golf ball to grape. They’re gone!
I just knew it was the prednisone. This drug that saved her physical life was now killing her quality of life. She was so lame she could barely walk. Every morning I had to lift her up off the floor. She was so hot she wouldn’t sleep in her dog bed at night. Then by morning she was so stiff she couldn’t get up. Her IBD specialist agreed it was time to withdraw the prednisone. It took 5 months with a small decrease once a month until finally we went to a Tues/ Sat dosing schedule for a month and then no more. She has been completely off prednisone for 5 weeks after taking it for almost a year.
Is she ever going to get better? She seems to be improving a little every day and I can feel small new muscles filling in around her bony back legs. All the vet can tell me is that recovery takes months. And all the while in the back of my mind is the IBD. If that comes back she will need pred again.
The first week off pred was the worst. Her hair fell out in clumps and she was so lame. Her hair has grown back some, but it’s prickly and long. She chewed her legs and feet all up until they were covered in sores. She is drinking less than she was and her appetite has improved. But recovery is so slow. How long will it take? Will she ever be OK now that the prednisone has been withdrawn? Today she greeted my friend who visited at the door like she used to. I almost cried when she actually wagged her tail. I love Lyla so much. I just want my happy dog back.
It took some time but she managed to kick the IBD and looked wonderful last fall. But in January of this year she had three seizures in one day. Then she began having one or two a week. She used to just have one every 4-6 weeks. A visit with a neurologist and more medication didn’t help. Then she began having “episodes” in the middle of the night where she would walk in circles and go in the closet and stare at the wall. The episodes were preceded by massive shaking in her hind end. Then the severe ataxia really began, her appetite was terrible, her stomach was bloated and she didn’t want to be near people or be brushed. She was acting like a dog who was trying to slip away and die. The skin on her tummy turned black and flaked off. Strangest was that she reabsorbed her fatty tumors! She had five of them ranging in size from golf ball to grape. They’re gone!
I just knew it was the prednisone. This drug that saved her physical life was now killing her quality of life. She was so lame she could barely walk. Every morning I had to lift her up off the floor. She was so hot she wouldn’t sleep in her dog bed at night. Then by morning she was so stiff she couldn’t get up. Her IBD specialist agreed it was time to withdraw the prednisone. It took 5 months with a small decrease once a month until finally we went to a Tues/ Sat dosing schedule for a month and then no more. She has been completely off prednisone for 5 weeks after taking it for almost a year.
Is she ever going to get better? She seems to be improving a little every day and I can feel small new muscles filling in around her bony back legs. All the vet can tell me is that recovery takes months. And all the while in the back of my mind is the IBD. If that comes back she will need pred again.
The first week off pred was the worst. Her hair fell out in clumps and she was so lame. Her hair has grown back some, but it’s prickly and long. She chewed her legs and feet all up until they were covered in sores. She is drinking less than she was and her appetite has improved. But recovery is so slow. How long will it take? Will she ever be OK now that the prednisone has been withdrawn? Today she greeted my friend who visited at the door like she used to. I almost cried when she actually wagged her tail. I love Lyla so much. I just want my happy dog back.