[Dailydrool] Posted for Jess'e Potts - Prednisone

[Pat Mayer]

Why was she taking pred and what are the major issues?

Lilygurl was on pred for more years than I can recall...I am not
exaggerating.  She just turned twelve last week.  She came to us with such
awful skin allergies (poor breeding) that we and the vets tried everything
to no avail.  pred was the only thing that helped and she would be on it for
most of the year...maybe I'd be lucky to get her off for a month or two a
year before she was back to bloody and chewing herself up so badly.

Last January, she went into liver failure...no doubt the years of pred.  Her
numbers were unbelievably so far off the charts it was hard to believe she
was alive.  The vet put her on a prescription (which I have to look up and
email later if you want the name) and Science Diet presc food (l/d)  for 6
weeks. They also talked about euthanasia.  I came home and put my head down
on the table and cried my heart out.  Then I emailed Aunty Sandy for some
dietarty tips and goggled canine liver failure and got Lily started on the
prescription food. The vet also had me put her on a combo vitamin (over the
counter ) C & E.  One a day.

Six weeks later her numbers had dropped dramatically back into the normal
range..she was then eased off the meds and Science Diet food and has been
almost robust since.  I say almost because she still has her heart issue of
several years. They did tell me to keep her on the vitamin along with her
heart meds.  She still takes Lasix, Enalapril, and a thyroid pill everyday.
Her fur is so soft and fluffy now and she looks healthier than she did for a
long time.  Right now we are battling the itchiness but not to the degree
she suffered for so many years.  I spray benedryl spray on the areas that
itch and some nights she gets me up three or four times because she is
uncomfortable (if she gets too warm it seems to irritate her skin)  I have a
gel pad that I keep refrigerated to slide under her blankie for her to lay
on and we keep the ceiling fans going at night and use the a/c as much as
possible.  To date I have not had to return to the pred and I hope that we
can see her through the rest of her days without her having to much in the
way of skin issues.  Other than that she is till her sweet bossy pwincess
self and still loves her walkies and traveling and front porch duties and
just celebrated her twelfth birthday last  Monday.

Pat

Drool to all in need.
Luv and Kissies too.
Pwincess LilyGurl, Rudy- Protege to the pwincess,  and the rest of the
entourage
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