Reducing prednisone

[Edwina]

Cookie’s count is up to 36, over 10 points in 7 days. Responding well to medication so doc said we can start with a 33% decrease :) but only on the prednisone. Going to watch for any signs of bad turn and see the vet again next week for a 7 day blood test. Praying hard!!!

Thank you Val & Patrice, you really are angels!

Blessings,
Edwina

[Vally]

Yayyyy. Doing the “Happy Dance”. Well done Cookie. You worked hard on that! Well done you too mum and dad. I think you did a bit of the work too :)

It’s always better to only do one reduction at a time and don’t rush the reductions. Speaking from experience here. Bingo relapsed, I’m certain, because we started reducing too quickly. No more often than every 2 to 3 weeks and no more than 25-33% at a time.

Prednisone, also being the one that causes the most side effects, is the better one to reduce first.

Good luck Cookie!!!

Edwina, if you want an updated chart, send me what drugs and times you’re doing at the moment.

Vally
xxx

[Edwina]

I’m still using the schedule you made just crossed out the doxycycline since she finished that. Thank you again, I will make sure to keep the reduction slow. We absolutely DO NOT want a relapse.

I have been giving the 100mg cyclosporine 2xs a day and not skipping on the weekends like Dr. Dodds protocol. Should I start doing that to give her tummy a little break ?

[Vally]

Edwina, if it were me, I wouldn’t do anything different with the cyclosporine while you’re adjusting the prednisone.

You may see a slight drop in the PCV when checked next. I always seemed to find that when the prednisone was reduced, there was always a drop, as if the body is adjusting, so don’t panic if that happens. You just need to keep a careful eye on Cookie – as if she’s not keeping a careful on on Cookie, Vally !!!

Also being the paranoid person that I am, I was always suspicious of a suddenly high PCV. The number can be affected by how hydrated or dehydrated they are. The more hydrated, the lower PCV, more dehydrated, higher PCV. So I’m just trying to warn you not to panic if, at the next check up, there’s a slight dip.

Vally, Angel Bingo and Saba.
xxx

[Patrice]

Edwina,
I agree with all that Valley has said.

Always do a fasting 8-10 hr PCV and CBC. Excess fat in the blood from a recent meal, called lipemia, can alter test results negatively, the automated analyzer can’t interpret very well and there may be values that are not correct.

But make sure that she has plenty of water to drink before her test. It’s best if dogs are hydrated well. This helps the blood keep it’s volume.

You can check for the hydration in a dog by firmly grasping the nape of their neck and pulling up. Watch to see how long it takes for the skin to fall back onto the neck. A dehydrated dog may have a peak that fails to drop for a prolonged time. This dehydration will make drawing a good blood sample very difficult. The sample could even be damaged enough so that it is not usable and the values on both the CBC and chem screen will show incorrect readings.

Good luck on the decreases!
my best, patrice

[Patrice]

Cookie

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[Edwina]

Good morning!

Cookie goes to the vet in the morning for tests.
She’s been doing great even wants to fetch the ball but still gets tired fast. I’ll keep you posted.

Smiles,
Edwina

[Vally]

Good luck Cookie. Take it easy with her and don’t let her do too much, even if she wants to. Fingers, toes and eyes crossed for good results.

Vally
xxx