Any Alternatives To Prednisone?

[Nichole]

My 10-year-old cocker spaniel, BJ, was diagnosed with AIHA about 4 years ago. She has been on 0.5mg daily of Prednisone. Her vet says it is dangerous to keep her on it, but did not give any alternatives. She’s more active on it, but she has also gained weight, her coat is dull, she has a seizure (once every few months), and has joint pain. Frankly, I’m not too thrilled about keeping her on meds. I’m epileptic, and my husband is diabetic. We both know that the side effects are usually more destructive than the medication, itself. Everyone in our house is on meds, except for our 19-year-old calico cat, Bonkers. How she does it, we will never know!
Are there any natural alternatives? Will changing her diet help. We have tried prepared meals, as well as canned foods. She seems to get bored, after a few months. Do vitamin supplements (for dogs/humans) provide help for her AIHA? I slowly have taken her off the Prednisone. She’s been totally off it for about a week, now. Her appetite has decreased slightly, and she is actually drinking more water than when she was on it. I started giving her ProSense Daily Vitamin Supplement. No problems, so far, but it contains Wheat Germ Meal and Corn Oil – I thought, until just today, that we only had to be concerned about Soy.
I’m now nervous about giving her the daily vitamin, and am trying to find something more natural. I’ve heard about Yucca for treatment of AIHA. Also, foods high in iron and B12.
Does anyone have any knowledge of natural alternatives to the synthetic steroids?

I don’t have a photo – my laptop is temporarily unavailable… She is a Parti Cocker Spaniel with the sweetest face and eyes that melt icebergs. Please help! We just want her to be healthy and happy. She’s been through so much, already. Thanks, in advance. :)

[Vally]

Hi Nichole and welcome to the site. Yes the evils of prednisone, but it saved our dogs lives, so we’ve come to have great respect for it.

I’m thinking BJ could be feeling the effects of having been on the prednisone for a while and now off it, and it may take a little time to adjust to it as it covers some aches and pains too. My boy remained on 0.5mg daily for the rest of his life, as every time I tried to stop it, I’d hit some sort of problem, usually joint issues. So it was a catch-22 thing. The prednisone had caused the problem, but he wasn’t coping without it. In the end the specialist and I agreed he was better off on it and being a small dose it wasn’t causing too much damage. Yes, he would have been better off not on it, so I’d persevere and see if there is an alternative for BJ.

If BJ’s bloods are doing fine now, and I take it he IS in remission, then you don’t need to replace the prednisone. When was his last PCV taken and what was the result?

I guess I’m saying that if BJ is in remission, then no he doesn’t need prednisone or an alternative. If his bloods are still anaemic, then the prednisone or another immune-suppresent is required.

Dealing with joint pain, fish oil is great for them, great for everything, skin, brain, coat, joints. In fact I used green lipped mussel on Bingo (as opposed to fish oil as it contained more whatever it is), turmeric, gelatin, vitamin C, MSM and others. Is this what you mean? If you go to Nutrition Resources in the Second Chance Resources above, there’s a link to Mary Straus’s site Dog Aware. this is a fabulous site for nutrician. What are BJ’s specific problems now?

https://www.secondchanceaihadogs.com/nutrition-resources/

Bingo had EVIL eyes. He just had to look at you and you would do anything for him. He had everyone entranced by those eyes.

Regards, Vally