New here-Auto Immune Disease Boxer named Chance

[brbsimon]

Hi there
I was referred to this group through a gal on a facebook boxer page who raved about how great this forum was.  I am excited to gain some friends who share the same struggle.  Chance is my youngest of three boxers.  We have his mama and a brother.  When he was born he was very sick and started having seizures at about 6 weeks old.  The vet we took him to at that point told us he had a liver shunt and should be put down as he would never make it.  He was so tiny and skin and bones.. they nick named him bones.  I chose to keep him.  We had him on a strict non protein home made diet and as long as we kept him away from the other dogs food, he stayed seizure free.. found him a new vet that we have taken him to ever since.  At about 6 months he got into a kernel or two of the other dogs food.. no seizures.. a few more.. nothing.. the vet did a bile test and no signs of the liver shunt.  Yay!  He spent the next 2.5 years growing like  a normal dog, happy and playful with a few quirks that we decided was maybe a little bit of doggie autism or the vet thought maybe a neurological disorder but nothing real concerning.  About 6 months ago he developed a very large lump on his spine.  Biopsy showed no signs of cancer but a strange substance and massive red blood cells.  It went away on it's own within a few weeks.  Then another three developed in random spots.  The vet drew some of the substance and looked at it a little deeper and said it was an auto immune disease.  He was then put on steroids and antibiotics with a taper off hopefully.  We tapered, it came back so the dr said he would most likely need to be on it permanently low dosage though.  About a week or so ago, he developed a very large lump in his groin area.  About 6 inches long by a half inch wide.  It was open at one point but has since healed a bit.  All the lymph nodes around it are also swollen and hard.  His left leg is very swollen all the way down to his foot.  Dr put him back to 2 steroids a day and prescribed Cyclosporine, 150 mg a day.  His breathing is rough which I'm assuming is from the steroid.  Just picked up the Cyclosporine last night and am praying it works fast.  He's in so much pain.  You can see it in his bloodshot eyes.  I gave him some tramadol last night and I think I will put him in a warm bath (he loves baths) with some epson salt tonight.  I have a big tub that I can submerge his body in.  Any thoughts?  Anything you do for your AID dogs to ease the pain?  My heart is breaking.  He is only 3 years old!

[Jo CIMDA]

Hi and welcome

Your poor boy has had a rough time but his strength of character is huge.   Do you know the diagnosis - sterile nodular panniculitis, pemphigus, erythema multiforme etc......?

If your vet is convinced this is another relapse of his AI skin disease then it might be worth putting him back on an immunosuppressive dose of prednisolone, at least until the cyclosporine has full effect, which can take a few weeks or more.  The prednisolone should relieve pain but other analgesics can be given such as tramadol, but this will often make the dog drowsy. 

Doxycycline (or tetracycline) and niacinamide is often used for treatment of AI skin disease, so perhaps this might be considered.  See these links:

http://veterinarycalendar.dvm360.com/tetracyclines-and-niacinamide-canine-dermatology-proceedings

http://www.skinvet.org/downloads/2584026/Discoid+Lupus+Erythematosus+in+Dogs.pdf

I hope you see an improvement very soon.

Jo