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If Your Dog Has Diagnosed Ibd-What Meds?


RobinM

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As most of you know, Beau was diagnosed via open exploratory abdominal surgery a year ago with moderate to severe IBD. He went from 50 mg of pred and 50 mg of imuran to between 5-10 mg of pred and 12.5 mg of imuran a day. When we get down to 5 mg he starts to flare again and we bring him back up to 10mg for a while and try to lower again. He is currently on 7.5 mg of pred / 12.mg of imuran.

 

We have his labs done less frequently now- they they were done last week and were "beautiful".

 

However, Beau is flat. Just not into any of the things he used to be into. My silly crazy boy is just... there.

We think long term use of the pred/imuran is just starting to get to him.

 

Are any dogs on budesonide and if so, is that with pred? how long have they been on it? How has it been?

Edited by RobinM

 

 

ROBIN ~ Mom to: Beau Think It Aint, Chloe JC Allthewayhome, Teddy ICU Drunk Sailor, Elsie N Fracine , Ollie RG's Travertine, Ponch A's Jupiter~ Yoshi, Zoobie & Belle, the kitties.

Waiting at the bridge Angel Polli Bohemian Ocean , Rocky, Blue,Sasha & Zoobie & Bobbi

Greyhound Angels Adoption (GAA) The Lexus Project

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Guest zoolaine

Sunny (non-grey) was diagnosed July 2008 with PLE. He was put on Budesonide, Aziothioprine, and Metronizadole. He did well and his protein levels got back into the normal range. The specialist at the lab started weaning him off the meds and up to about 2 months ago he was just taking 1 Aziothioprine every 3 days. Well his protein levels dropped and they started him back on all the meds. he went from 1 pill every 3 days to 6 a day! very disheartening. Anyways his protein levels went back up and he was doing pretty well until about a week ago when he began having terrible, watery diarrhea. Then about last Tuesday strange bumps began appearing on his face and rump, which have since spread up his spine. He is also getting weak and slipped and hurt his back leg on top of everything else. No one seems to know what the bumps are - the biopsy results should be back tomorrow.

 

He has been noticeably subdued over the past week but I think it is from just not feeling well. He has been getting muscle atrophy and drinks and eats a ton - which are all side effects of the medication. I am very worried about him right now, but if you would have asked me 10 days ago, I would have said that things were going well.

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Sunny (non-grey) was diagnosed July 2008 with PLE. He was put on Budesonide, Aziothioprine, and Metronizadole. He did well and his protein levels got back into the normal range. The specialist at the lab started weaning him off the meds and up to about 2 months ago he was just taking 1 Aziothioprine every 3 days. Well his protein levels dropped and they started him back on all the meds. he went from 1 pill every 3 days to 6 a day! very disheartening. Anyways his protein levels went back up and he was doing pretty well until about a week ago when he began having terrible, watery diarrhea. Then about last Tuesday strange bumps began appearing on his face and rump, which have since spread up his spine. He is also getting weak and slipped and hurt his back leg on top of everything else. No one seems to know what the bumps are - the biopsy results should be back tomorrow.

 

He has been noticeably subdued over the past week but I think it is from just not feeling well. He has been getting muscle atrophy and drinks and eats a ton - which are all side effects of the medication. I am very worried about him right now, but if you would have asked me 10 days ago, I would have said that things were going well.

Budesonide 3mgs everyday then we were able to wean down to 3mgs every third day. The steroid for the most part stays within the GI Tract and therefore you don't have all of the known pred side effects.

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Spencer started 2mg budesonide in May of '09 (along with metronidazole and tylosin). Last month we reduced the budesonide to 1.5 mg/day and cut his metronidazole in half (now 500 mg/day). He's doing fine. The only side effect we have had is some fur loss, mostly on his legs.

 

I initiated the med reductions myself; vet examined him 10 days later and concurred. Her suggested is to next eliminate the tylosin. I'd really like to stop the metronidazole at some point, but the vet's experience is that IBD dogs who needed it in the first place need to stay on it just about forever. (I'd like to hear what others have to say about that. His acupuncture vet hates the stuff!)

 

Hope this is of some help, Robin. Sorry Beau is feeling so flat. For what it's worth, when my vet (who has an IBD dog herself, different breed) researched meds for Spencer, she found that "almost everybody ends up on budesonide anyway, so let's just start there." Of course, he had already had a bad reaction to pred and lost a bunch of weight on it; but that's probably mostly because he had undiagnosed SIBO at the time, so any immunosuppressant was a bad idea until that was cleared up.)

 

Let us know what you decide, okay? Meanwhile...:bighug

Mary with Jumper Jack (2/17/11) and angels Shane (PA's Busta Rime, 12/10/02 - 10/14/16) and Spencer (Dutch Laser, 11/25/00 - 3/29/13).

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My vet's concern about the budesonide (well, last year at this time) is that there is not a lot of clincal trials with the bud especially with the greyhounds.

 

2nd walk of the day and Beau is not interested. He is eating, tail will wag, he gives kisses and will cuddle, but he is looking to lay down, not be up and about. He is only 5.

 

We will see if it's any better once the pred is dropped.

 

 

ROBIN ~ Mom to: Beau Think It Aint, Chloe JC Allthewayhome, Teddy ICU Drunk Sailor, Elsie N Fracine , Ollie RG's Travertine, Ponch A's Jupiter~ Yoshi, Zoobie & Belle, the kitties.

Waiting at the bridge Angel Polli Bohemian Ocean , Rocky, Blue,Sasha & Zoobie & Bobbi

Greyhound Angels Adoption (GAA) The Lexus Project

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I wanted to add that it was a gastro Dr at AMC that prescribed the budesonide for my pup. He is a board certified gastro Dr. With all do respect--is your current vet an internist??

 

you mean a boarded internist who deals with gastro issues.

 

No, my vet is not a boarded internist. We went to one when Beau was 1st diagnosed. She agreed with everything my vet was doing. Except she had me add oil to Beau's diet which caused him to flare more. So- since she was 100% on board with the meds, we didn't need to go back.

 

 

ROBIN ~ Mom to: Beau Think It Aint, Chloe JC Allthewayhome, Teddy ICU Drunk Sailor, Elsie N Fracine , Ollie RG's Travertine, Ponch A's Jupiter~ Yoshi, Zoobie & Belle, the kitties.

Waiting at the bridge Angel Polli Bohemian Ocean , Rocky, Blue,Sasha & Zoobie & Bobbi

Greyhound Angels Adoption (GAA) The Lexus Project

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Has Beau's B-12 level been checked recently? Usually cobalamine and folate are checked in conjunction with testing for EPI, but they are not the same phenomenon. Spencer did not have EPI, but he did have low cobalamine and requires B-12 injections for life.

 

This "intestinal malabsorption" was the first finding made about Spencer's intestinal troubles, way before the SIBO or the IBD were tested for. It means that B-vitamins can no longer be processed by the intestines, so they can't be derived from the diet or oral supplement. Thus, the injection. I just wonder if this is a factor with Beau and has taken a while to drag him down.

 

Just a thought. (It would be so great if it were that simple and cheap!) Hugs and scritches for you and Beau.

Mary with Jumper Jack (2/17/11) and angels Shane (PA's Busta Rime, 12/10/02 - 10/14/16) and Spencer (Dutch Laser, 11/25/00 - 3/29/13).

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