[Dailydrool] prednisone and

[Kathie Goblirsch]

Marie Campbell wrote:
>  Paula,
>     I had a German shepherd/cocker spaniel/ basset mix boy (imagine a German Shepherd with basset legs--shepherd head, hair, and body but basset legs) who lived to be 15 years old.  Mom was a cocker/basset mix and just lovely. Her name was Rusty and she had gorgeous copper, silky cocker hair and a cocker head but basset legs and feet.  You never met a sweeter, more wonderful dog!  Dad was a neighbor's German Shepherd that wandered the neighborhood and hopped my grandparents fence. Any who, Grizzly, my boy, had multiple health problems his whole life-disc disease, allergies both contact and food, dry eyes, arthritis....  Anyway, he was on prednisone allot and one time out of the blue he bit me while I was petting him.  It really shocked me.  I called my vet and he told me he thought it was a pred reaction and switched him to dexamethasone.  He never reacted like that again and we never used pred again.  We always used dex and he was
>  fine.  Can they switch your boy to dex instead?
> Marie Campbell
>
>
>   
The following info in from the web site *CanineAddisonsInfo.com*:
> Canine Addison's Disease - Hypoadrenocorticism
>
> Canine Addison's Disease is NOT a death sentence *if* your dog 
> receives appropriate treatment!!Dogs with Addison's Disease are unable 
> to produce one or two hormones, so we must replace those hormones by 
> providing artificial substitutes.
>
> The first hormone that's missing (the ONLY one missing in dogs with 
> primary "Atypical" or secondary Addison's) is cortisol, which manages 
> metabolism, stress, blood pressure and the general sense of well 
> being. Cortisol is a GLUCocorticoid (think glucose, sugar, energy) and 
> is artificially supplemented with a low DAILY dose of prednisone or 
> some other oral glucocorticoid (prednisolone, hydrocortisone, etc.) 
> The correct dose of prednisone cannot be measured with a blood test 
> -it's determined by your observations: *the lowest dose that keeps 
> your dog symptom free, happy and eating*!
>
> The second hormone that's missing (in dogs with primary "Typical" 
> Addison's only) is aldosterone, which manages the electrolytes in the 
> body. Aldosterone is a MINERALocorticoid (think minerals: salt, 
> sodium, potassium) and is artificially supplemented with either DOCP 
> (Percorten-v) or Florinef, sufficient to maintain normal levels of 
> these minerals. Although there are recommended starting doses for DOCP 
> (1.0 ml for 25 pounds of body weight) and Florinef (one 0.1 mg tablet 
> for every TEN pounds of body weight) the correct dose must be 
> determined by closely monitoring electrolyte levels and adjusting the 
> dose accordingly! The goal is to maintain potassium and sodium values 
> at a "happy medium" of whatever reference range the testing lab states 
> on your dog's lab report. Lab values at either extreme end of these 
> ranges are usually not a "comfort zone" for your Addisonian dog, and 
> can actually be life-threatening!
>
> Dogs with Addison's Disease can and DO lead full and happy lives once 
> they're provided with artificial replacements for the hormones their 
> adrenal glands are no longer producing! 
Another Addisons site is: *http://www.addisondogs.com/
*
Kathie G
mom to Gabby (6 years with Addisons) and Misty (who has a fetish for 
eating paper)

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