SunVegan
06-09-2018, 06:50 PM
Watson is 8 1/2 years old. He has been ill from day one. He has Inflammatory Bowel Disease. That is an autoimmune condition. He has been on special food, and Budesonide (steroid) since he was 11 months. His GI symptoms are not well controlled even with all the interventions.
Meds:
Metronidazol (anti fungal/ antibiotic)
Thyrotab (Thyroid replacement)
Sulfasalizin (antibiotic)
Azathioprine (kidney transplant rejection drug)
Budesonide (steroid)
3 years ago was his first test with elevated liver enzymes. He had a liver ultrasound then. They were even higher a year ago, but I was in the middle of Chemo therapy and could not do anything about it. He has iatrogenic cushings. This dx is from observation only from 2 different Vets. I was told that because he's on steroids, test results would not be conclusive, many false negatives. I am told he appears like "a classic cushings dog" by the vet a couple weeks ago. His symptoms:
heat intolerance
lots of hair loss, in large clumps - many bald places
Low energy
Difficulty with balance (no more trick dogging)
distended belly
Calcium deposit bumps
Blister like things on skin and leave no hair under them. Vet said it's staff overgrowth due to the cushings.
He has muscle wasting, and tendon break down per the Vet. Watsons back legs are facing outward, his spine showing, and his waist is looking pinched, like he's losing weight, which he has. He's walking flat footed due to tendon breakdown per the vet. He has a UTI, he had so symptoms, but, had gram negitive rods.
Labs:
ALT - 393 (18-121)
ALP - 3,983 (5-160)
GGT 58 (0-13)
Bilirubin conjugated 0.1 (0-0.1)
Cholesterol 506 (131-345)
creatine kinase 218 (10-200)
IDEXX SDMA 18 (0-14)
Plan:
We have decreased the steroid from 3mg per day to 2 mg. Will evaluate GI symptoms, and if "ok" in one month will decrease steroid to 1 mg/day. Stopped his prosaic (anxiety). If this goes well, will attempt to stop the Azathioprine (kidney transplant rejection drug).
I am only walking him a small amount now, not asking him to do tricks, keeping him out of the sun and the heat.
What I want to know:
Does all this sound reasonable? Normal? What would getting worse look like for him, like, what symptoms might happen next?
Thanks
Watson and SunVegan.
ps, I can't figure out how to add a picture of my Boy.
Meds:
Metronidazol (anti fungal/ antibiotic)
Thyrotab (Thyroid replacement)
Sulfasalizin (antibiotic)
Azathioprine (kidney transplant rejection drug)
Budesonide (steroid)
3 years ago was his first test with elevated liver enzymes. He had a liver ultrasound then. They were even higher a year ago, but I was in the middle of Chemo therapy and could not do anything about it. He has iatrogenic cushings. This dx is from observation only from 2 different Vets. I was told that because he's on steroids, test results would not be conclusive, many false negatives. I am told he appears like "a classic cushings dog" by the vet a couple weeks ago. His symptoms:
heat intolerance
lots of hair loss, in large clumps - many bald places
Low energy
Difficulty with balance (no more trick dogging)
distended belly
Calcium deposit bumps
Blister like things on skin and leave no hair under them. Vet said it's staff overgrowth due to the cushings.
He has muscle wasting, and tendon break down per the Vet. Watsons back legs are facing outward, his spine showing, and his waist is looking pinched, like he's losing weight, which he has. He's walking flat footed due to tendon breakdown per the vet. He has a UTI, he had so symptoms, but, had gram negitive rods.
Labs:
ALT - 393 (18-121)
ALP - 3,983 (5-160)
GGT 58 (0-13)
Bilirubin conjugated 0.1 (0-0.1)
Cholesterol 506 (131-345)
creatine kinase 218 (10-200)
IDEXX SDMA 18 (0-14)
Plan:
We have decreased the steroid from 3mg per day to 2 mg. Will evaluate GI symptoms, and if "ok" in one month will decrease steroid to 1 mg/day. Stopped his prosaic (anxiety). If this goes well, will attempt to stop the Azathioprine (kidney transplant rejection drug).
I am only walking him a small amount now, not asking him to do tricks, keeping him out of the sun and the heat.
What I want to know:
Does all this sound reasonable? Normal? What would getting worse look like for him, like, what symptoms might happen next?
Thanks
Watson and SunVegan.
ps, I can't figure out how to add a picture of my Boy.