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stella pred reduction

Started by shawkyelisabeth, May 21, 2012, 02:01:45 AM

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shawkyelisabeth

Dear all, after 16 days of stella being on 10mg pred twice daily she will have her blood test today. She is doing well eating a lot and gaining weight. Clinically everything is fine, the only thing I noticed lately is that she is a bit weak on her hind legs, walking and then somehow not finding her balance and kind of lowering her hind legs until she stabilzes again. Could it be that she has put on too much weight due to preds and her legs havent kept pace with the increase in weight? or could it be a kind of muscle weakness due to preds? I will wait for the blood result and hopefully be able to reduce preds to 5mg twice daily. I am still very anxious about reduction and relapses and will get the results to you hoping for your comments. If bloods are fine and hematocrit increased again is it ok to keep the reduced dose for only two weeks and then go to to the same dose eod for 3 weeks ? She is still quite agressive with everybody but the closest family, I am not in a hurry but I would like to see her to be her own self again without medication and start all over with training and education, she is very receptive but I am still worried about exhausting her too much. Thanks for your input and I will keep you updated. Elisabeth

Angela

Hi Stella,

I hope all the unrest has eased and you can travel safely again and very to glad to hear from you.

Pred does cause muscle and ligament weakness so this is likely what is happening with Stella's back legs.  With reductions  you initially get the dose down as quickly as possible but the length of time between reductions actually increases from where you are.  I think Stella has been on 10mg am & pm for 3 weeks?  The next reduction will depend on the blood tests; perhaps then you could work on dropping the evening dose or reducing that first.  Once you can get her down to one dose a day you should see real improvements in her temperament (the ravenous behaviour, extra drinking & peeing will get much better to :)  but she will need to stay on the lower doses for 4 weeks or so between reductions.

Hugs
Angela (AIHA & Addison's)
NSW Australia

Jo CIMDA



I hope all the unrest has eased and you can travel safely again and very to glad to hear from you.

****Hi Elisabeth, I too hppe that things are easier in Egypt.  I know you have elections today.  Stay safe!


Pred does cause muscle and ligament weakness so this is likely what is happening with Stella's back legs.

****I agree with Angela.  It is the preds that are causing Stella's muscle weakness and this is to be expected given the length of time she has been on the preds. Sometimes the side effects dictate when to reduce the preds.

perhaps then you could work on dropping the evening dose or reducing that first.

****If you reduce her preds to 5mg x 2 a day then you can, as Angela says, give her 10mg in the morning. As before, monitor the side effects and review again in a couple of weeks.

She has done so well Elisabeth!
Jo

shawkyelisabeth

Hi Angela and Jo, thanks for always keeping up with me, you give me so much confidence with the pred reduction.
We did a blood sample for stella threedays ago but unfortunately until we got it to the lab (we have to bring them there by ourselves) it was spoiled and we have to do it again next Sunday. My vet told me to reduce the pred  starting from tomorrow to 7 and  a half mg twice daily, for a period of at least two weeks and then we will see where we will go from there.This means that she will have got 4 weeks of 40mg , 4 weeks of 30mg and now 3 weeks of 20mg and starting from tomorrow 15 mg per day. He is very happy with her and I also see an improvement in her behaviour, a little less agressive, less peeing .Her panting also is obviously less then before and does not cause any concern any more She is also back to very regular eating and toilet times. He prescribed vitamins B for her leg problem, that has also started to be less obvious. I will get back to him with your suggestions and I think we are on the same way with stellas treatment.

Yes we are going through troubled times in Egypt. The dictatorship and supression and disrespect for the people seem not to go away any time soon, even with the election of a president, still the military will have a say and since we have no constitution and very week state institutions  the country is in a big mess.  If Egypt received as many good thoughts as we give to our dogs we would live in paradise!But we are relatively safe and try to stay out of trouble.

Thank you for all your help. I have not been able to post so much at the webforum as I could with the emails on my blackberry, but you have done a wonderful job with the new cimda site and whenever I open my laptop its always the first place to go. You are really amazing people, God bless you! Elisabeth

Jo CIMDA

Hi elisabeth

Ifr at anytime you think Stella is struggling eg., to get up on her back legs due to muscle weakness, then you should consider lowering the dose.  It is all about achieving a blanace of drugs and disease.

I am so sorry you are having to live under such a regime.  I pray you will be safe and the situation will improve before too long.

Jo

shawkyelisabeth

Thanks God ,Jo, Stellas weakness in her backlegs has not reached the point of actually collapsing, it is just an occasional kind of slipping away especially when she runs down the stairs or is in a hurry to get somewhere or after a longer nap. I think it has already improved with the last reduction .I give her more time out in the garden playing with the other dogs, she seems also not to get exhausted so quickly any more. Have a lovely day! Elisabeth

Amshura

How lovely to switch on & read your news of Stella's vast improvement when one rememebrs what a sick dog she was .I am so glad that you feel that you have  receieved such positive & practical support for Stella & that eventually once  the preds are  really wound down  she will be  full of mischief again. We have many success stories  within CIMDA & it is such a conmfort to those  whose dogs   become so ill.
It must be so worrying for you with the  current  unrest in the country & I pray you all keep safe & better times come for Egypt.
Best wishes Sylvia.

Angela

Sending good vibes & prayers for Stella & you Elizabeth, AND Egypt!

Hugs
Angela (AIHA & Addison's)
NSW Australia

shawkyelisabeth

 Sorry that I could not go to my laptop for a couple of days and only now see the lovely messages you sent me> Really I am so moved and have tears in my eyes actually for your compassion and care. AGAIN AND AGAIN  I say that you from CIMDA saved Stella and she would not have the great time she is already having now though still on preds. Unfortunately it has already become quite hot
in Egypt so most of the day she is sleepy and inside the house but in the evening she gets quite active and naughty and we are back to training and education and actually I would need some advice and a help group on German shepherd training now!  (My experience is only with Beagles who are easy to care for)I hope so much that with further reduction she will stay as stable as she is now< I will be very careful about relapses and not expose her to any risks as far as I can. She is very intelligent and knows that she is being spoiled and takes advantage of it but I always have to cuddle her from time to time to make her feel how happy we are to have her with us.
We dumped the last bloods because it is too stressy for her and her clinical signs are so good that we continue with 7 and a half mg twice daily for another week then do the bloods and then hopefully reduce to 10mg once a day. I think we will keep this dose then for at least three to four weeks, lets wait and see.
Egypt is in a mess.....positive thinking is all that we can do now!
Thank you for your good thoughts.
Elisabeth and Stella

gschellinger

Good to hear Stella is still improving. I hope things also improve in Egypt!
gail
gail and Lola (SLE, hereditary cerebellar ataxia, chronic undiagnosed nasal congestion) usa

Jo CIMDA

Quote from: shawkyelisabeth on May 31, 2012, 11:53:25 AM
most of the day she is sleepy and inside the house but in the evening she gets quite active and naughty and we are back to training and education and actually I would need some advice and a help group on German shepherd training now! 

--------
****That's lovely to read Elisabeth

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We dumped the last bloods because it is too stressy for her and her clinical signs are so good that we continue with 7 and a half mg twice daily for another week then do the bloods and then hopefully reduce to 10mg once a day.

****In a situation like yours, and now you have a feel for what to expect when a dog is on preds, you can 'play it by ear' to a certain extent.  You will, I'm sure, now appreciate how  in tune you get when dealing with a dog on steroids.  I'm sure you will detect any change and act on it, so if  a blood test is not convenient or possible and you feel a reduction is in order then you probably won't be wrong.  I always say to trust your instinct.

Good news Elisabeth.  I just hope your political situation calms down soon.

Jo

Egypt is in a mess.....positive thinking is all that we can do now!
Thank you for your good thoughts.
Elisabeth and Stella

Penel CIMDA moderator

Elisabeth,
just a suggestion - can you feed Stella her meals from a Kong or such similar type activity toys? this is quite a calm way of giving a dog a lot of mental stimulation and one we use regularly in behaviour modification.
Penel
(SLE, Surrey - UK)
Forum Owner
CIMDA

shawkyelisabeth


Penel CIMDA moderator

ahha, this is a Kong
http://www.kongcompany.com/products/for-dogs/rubber-toys/classic-rubber-toys/classic-2/
A GSD would probably need a large or XL/ giant kong.  You stuff their food into it, and it takes them ages to eat.  You can even put treats in kongs, like tuna / yoghurt, and freeze them - esp great for dogs in hot countries.
Penel
(SLE, Surrey - UK)
Forum Owner
CIMDA

gschellinger

Lola's favorite time of day is Kong Time  ;)
gail and Lola (SLE, hereditary cerebellar ataxia, chronic undiagnosed nasal congestion) usa