CIMDA

 I have come back to look at this site as there seems to be quite a few dogs with autoimmune diseases at the minute who owners are looking for help .... Just to answer the question posted above as I have only just seen it and it might help others ..... Freddie started on the steroids in the September and the reduction in steroids was followed slowly as shown on this site. He took his last tablet the following May and never needed to take any more for the IMPA. He pretty much was as he was before the steroids  and the IMPA
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Freddie is a bearded collie who was always fit and healthy and never at the vets. Last year he suddenly went very lethargic, didn't want to stand and could hardly walk. I took him to the vets and because his prostate was enlarged they initially thought it was a water infection. He had antibiotics and and a pain killer and within a couple of hours he was back to his normal self. We went on holiday a couple of days late and he seemed to get the same symptoms so we took him to the vet on holiday.They said basically the same thing...the thought it was to do with his waterworks and gave more antibiotics . Anyway he was up and down like this for another week and then he suddenly became really lethargic just laying on the floor with an awful look about him. He had gone downhill over a few hours.
I took him back to the vets and they admitted him straight away into intensive care and the specialist vets(luckily our vets is a large referral vets). They told me they couldn't promise me anything .They tested for Lymes disease(Because I knew he had a bad tick bite  a few weeks earlier) and his his white cell count was astronomically high and he also had a high calcium count . He was very ill and they starting testing for leukemia and cancer because it was pointing that way.
Anyway the tests came back and the vet rang and told me he had auto immune polyarthritis which was confirmed by joint taps . Freddie was put in intensive care as he was so ill where he stayed for the next week or so. I never thought he would come home again
He came home after a week and he was very week. We fed him lots of chicken and salmon because he had lost about 5 kilos in weight . He was on immune suppressants and predisone (And gastro protectants). Once he was stronger we started taking him  little regular walks which he enjoyed.
He was always hungry so we watched what we fed him and put him on senior dog food for less active dogs. His coat went a bit thin in parts but wasn't as bad as we thought it would go.
He continued to improve and get better and didn't seem to have any bad effects with the steroids. He only ever urinated in the house once whilst on the steroids which was brilliant. He did however put quite a bit of weight on .
The steroids dose was decreased gradually over time and he was taken off them completely in May and so far so good. He had a blood test this week as our vet is very interested in the illness he had and we have been told it is fine
I know that they can relapse and we have been lucky. I would say that Freddie is pretty much as fit and healthy as he was before he took ill ...he is just very slightly slower and I have to remember that he is a year older now and 8 ...so he would be anyway . He is also still a bit overweight
I wanted to tell his story so you know that there is sometimes light at the end of the tunnel and they can get better

Hi
My bearded collie was diagnosed with IMPA last year in September when he became very ill. At first they thought he had leukemia . He was in intensive care for over a week he was so ill
He was put on immune suppressants and predisone (and gastro protect).He looked wrecked for few weeks and then started to improve. He was on the steroids which were gradually reduce and then he was taken off them eventually  in May.
So far he has been fine . His coat looks brilliant and I would say he is 95% as fast and fit as he was before he was ill (I think the fact he is possibly 5% slower is that he is a year older now and is
We had a brilliant vet who was very interested in his illness

Yumove has been brilliant for my bearded collie who was really stiff in his front legs. He had double dose for a few weeks as they recommend  to start with and now he jogs along when on his lead and out walking. We are amazed at the improvement and much cheaper than going to the vets...check out the price on the internet as they vary greatly   

Sorry I have only just read the above posts. My beardie has not lost any weight ...he has if anything put weight on. Also he has not had diarrehea . If anyone did not know he has auto immune , they would think he was fine. He is very energetic and runs to fetch his ball. He has lost some fur....it has gone very thin and is casting bad so we have had him clipped and now keep getting asked what breed he is ...or worse still asked if he is a poodle. (he is a bearded collie). He certainly looks better with his rain coat on . He is very greedy regarding food. We are back at the vets again on Monday for a check up and we are hoping that his steroids will be reduced agin
Regarding the vitamin d deficiency I misunderstood the vet and he had excessive vitamin d but this has now settled down

My beardie has been diagnosed with immune mediated polyarthritis. He went from running around one day to be be unable to walk the next day. He was really poorly and in intensive care for a week. He is on steroids and seems much better so hopefully he is going the right way. He is now enjoying his walks again. He has vitamin D deficiency . We are giving him fish to try and help this problem. Has anyone else had the vitamin D deficiency and can they offer any advice.