Hi Jo,
Unfortunately it looks like this dreaded fire danger weather is not going to let up and they are predicting more on its way next week.

I have an appointment on Monday to do bloods and check Peps liver levels. We will see what that comes back with, I am expecting not great results.
I am very sorry to hear that one of your dogs had cancer and was in terrible pain. Your description makes sense to me and makes me less inclined to think that’s what pep has.
I have been wondering and reading more about infectious (septic) arthritis. Pep didn’t have a red area that was particularly hotter over her joint or any wounds so this was disregarded. But I have been reading (not sure how reliable the info is as it’s from the internet) but it can be caused by
• penetrating trauma;
• haematogenous spread;
• ear infection;
• gastrointestinal infection;
• urinary tract infection;
• pyoderma;
• anal sac infections;
I also read that ‘It is well recognised that pre-existing joint disease can predispose to haematogenous spread. Examples of this include osteoarthritis, immunemediated joint disease and blunt trauma that can precede the infection by a few days.’’
Typical physical examination findings are:
• lameness – more chronic cases may be mild
• warm swollen joint with pain on manipulation;
• redness or discolouration of overlying skin;
• joint effusion;
• local lymph node enlargement;
• muscle atrophy; and
• monoarticular.
All of these she had except the joint didn’t really feel a lot warmer than others and it wasn’t red. Pep has brown skin and tan hair covering her elbow so I’m not sure how you could see red. Can we rule septic arthritis out based on this?
Is a trial of antibiotics an option?
I have remembered after reading the above info. At our most recent vet appointment that was maybe a few weeks prior to this all happening. Around peps bottom she had a little cut and bit of swelling. We just left it to monitor as she has had trouble with her anal glands in the past and has had times where she has gotten pussy and swollen around her bottom when she has been dragging it on the pebblecrete.
Is it possible she could have septic arthritis or am I reading too much into it? The swelling has reduced but could the pred do that? She is still in pain on that elbow and dipping her head when she walks. We are now on 1/2 tramadol twice daily and 15mg pred twice daily.
I have also tried to find info about erosive poly arthritis which has been difficult. But I came across a list of types and one being Felty’s syndrome. The info mentions an enlarged spleen which pep has. When we had an ultrasound done a number of years ago early in her diagnosis the specialist found this and at the time said she wasn’t sure if it was significant. Felty’s syndrome also involves rheumatoid arthritis. Pep was diagnosed with impa and now it is looking to be erosive. I’m not really familiar with the difference between the two. Rheumatoid arthritis gets treated with immune suppressing drugs too. We never tested pep for the Rheumatoid factor. Could her impa have been rheumatoid arthritis? I didn’t think so but don’t know enough about it. I thought I’d read you never achieve remission with rheumatoid arthritis and it requires lifelong drugs and not a good prognosis. Pep was on such a low dose of pred there for ages so that wouldn’t seem to me that she could have had rheumatoid arthritis.
I might need to give the reading a rest for a bit as it can be easy to read to much into things.