Robin Is A Total Mess--Our Poor Baby

[Guest KennelMom]

I'm relieved to hear you have some definitely possibilities! Hopefully Robin is well on his way to getting better (lucky dog to get steak for dinner! )

[silverfish]

Good to hear he's being thoroughly investigated and you are on the way to a firm diagnosis! If it is pemphigus, at least you know that after you've paid for the consultation and testing, it's not an arm and a leg to treat.

 

And wow! I was (possibly) right! And if not, I wasn't too way out in my guess.

[duncan41]

Still hoping and praying that the tests reveal a diagnosis. :hope :hope

[Guest chaoran22]

We had a crusty skin issue around my grey's eye for the longest time. We tried everything, and it would get a little better and then get worse, until we treated for mange and it went away forever! It was the sarcoptic kind b/c we treated for the other kind early on and it had no effect. We saw multiple vets and none of them thought it was sarcoptic mange, they thought it was demodectic mange and when that treatment didnt' work, they tried treating for skin issues and I suggested that since nothing was working, why not try treating for sarcoptic even though it didnt' look like it. So they agreed b/c they said it wouldn't hurt, after hundreds of dollars spent on ointments and creams and skin specialists, one round of Revolution resolved it immediately and it never came back. If all else is failing, it doesn't hurt to try, even if it doesn't looking like it.

 

ETA: I didn't realize this was such a long thread until after I posted - I skimmed through some of the other posts and wanted to say, your dog's pictures look EXACTLY like what my dog had. Our vets did all sorts of cultures, etc. too and nothing was showing up. I really had to push for the Revolution treatment because they didn't think sarcoptic mange was a possibility - for some reason, they all wanted to test for demodectic mange but were completely against the possibility of her having sarcoptic mange. So I had to be the one to be like...look, I want to do a round of Revolution, it doesn't hurt, it's cheap, it's my dog, and I'm paying for it, so we're going to do it - and even though the vets were like it's probably not going to work, they agreed b/c it wouldn't hurt and it was a week long treatment (if I remember correctly) and she was cured forever. If we had done it months earlier, it would have saved me SO much money spent on ointments, cultures, medication, etc. Before putting your dog on lifelong medication with side effects, I would really push for a treatment with Revolution - you really never know.

Edited September 20, 2010 by chaoran22

[greyhead]

...So I had to be the one to be like...look, I want to do a round of Revolution, it doesn't hurt, it's cheap, it's my dog, and I'm paying for it, so we're going to do it - and even though the vets were like it's probably not going to work, they agreed b/c it wouldn't hurt and it was a week long treatment (if I remember correctly) and she was cured forever.

Good for you! I've had to take the same approach more than once, and I have never been sorry. (There have been some embarrassed vets, though.)

[Guest chaoran22]

Thanks greyhead. I also wanted to say to Robin's mom - all of our skin tests came back negative for mange as well, that's why the vets were so resistant to trying Revolution. And also, our other grey never got it, and sarcoptic is supposed to be highly contagious so nothing seemed to support the fact that it was sarcoptic mange but again, it didn't hurt so we tried it and it turns out that is what it was. Now it sounds like you guys might be trying Revolution anyway, but talk to your vet to see if it might be worth doing a whole Revolution treatment instead of just one dose for heartworm - it very well might not help at all but on the off chance that it does, I think it's worth a shot. I hope it's something simple like mange and that all the other stuff like his weight loss is just a result of stress from frequent vet visits, etc.! And if it is mange, it will only take a few days to notice a difference. We were at our wits end too with dermatologists, etc. so I know what you're going through - good luck with whatever it turns out to be!

[Hawthorn]

We had a crusty skin issue around my grey's eye for the longest time. We tried everything, and it would get a little better and then get worse, until we treated for mange and it went away forever! It was the sarcoptic kind b/c we treated for the other kind early on and it had no effect. We saw multiple vets and none of them thought it was sarcoptic mange, they thought it was demodectic mange and when that treatment didnt' work, they tried treating for skin issues and I suggested that since nothing was working, why not try treating for sarcoptic even though it didnt' look like it. So they agreed b/c they said it wouldn't hurt, after hundreds of dollars spent on ointments and creams and skin specialists, one round of Revolution resolved it immediately and it never came back. If all else is failing, it doesn't hurt to try, even if it doesn't looking like it.

 

ETA: I didn't realize this was such a long thread until after I posted - I skimmed through some of the other posts and wanted to say, your dog's pictures look EXACTLY like what my dog had. Our vets did all sorts of cultures, etc. too and nothing was showing up. I really had to push for the Revolution treatment because they didn't think sarcoptic mange was a possibility - for some reason, they all wanted to test for demodectic mange but were completely against the possibility of her having sarcoptic mange. So I had to be the one to be like...look, I want to do a round of Revolution, it doesn't hurt, it's cheap, it's my dog, and I'm paying for it, so we're going to do it - and even though the vets were like it's probably not going to work, they agreed b/c it wouldn't hurt and it was a week long treatment (if I remember correctly) and she was cured forever. If we had done it months earlier, it would have saved me SO much money spent on ointments, cultures, medication, etc. Before putting your dog on lifelong medication with side effects, I would really push for a treatment with Revolution - you really never know.

 

This is very similar to what happened with our Sophie, as I mentioned in my earlier post, except that we used the Advocate (similar to Revolution I think) earlier on in the process. The vet really didn't think it was mange and wanted to have Sophie in for a GA and skin biopsy but I wanted to try the Advocate first as it would be less stressful for Sophie. The vet was pretty condescending towards me, so much so in fact that I changed vets because of her attitude, but not before I had the satisfaction of taking Sophie back to her a week later to show her how much improved Sophie was . We had used Frontline about 2 weeks prior to using the Advocate, but our vet said it was "safe" to use the Advocate as well, without waiting a month. You never know, it might be worth trying the Revolution, if you haven't already as I know you mentioned you would be using it at some point.

 

Whatever it turns out to be, I hope Robin feels better soon .

[fsugrad]

Just heard from the vet school. Actually, my husband just heard from the vet school. I hate when they call him on medical stuff instead of me--medical stuff is not his forte!

Anyway, it is definitely pemphigus according to the biopsy results.

The vet said that Robin will be on a steroid which is 2-3 times more powerful than the dose he's currently taking, and that hopefully he will go into remission.

 

What no one has told me--I guess I haven't asked since we hadn't received a diagnosis til just now-- is what is the chance of him going into remission and how will a disease like this affect his lifespan? Our baby is only 5 yrs old.

They're sending all the info to our vet as far as what he needs to have rx'd, etc., and I placed a call to her--she's out on an emergency housecall--so hopefully I'll hear from her tonight and I'll let everyone know more once I find out.

 

Oh--and on a side note...my steak-a-day fatten-Robin-up plan has definitely worked. He's gone from 77.7 lbs to 80.3 pounds in 1 week!

[krissn333]

Rita, please don't worry. Dogs with problems like this usually lead very normal lives in terms of lifespan. You may have some new flares along the way, but you'll learn to identify them at the first sign and get Robin on another course of pred (or a higher dose, depending on if he'll be taking it all the time or just for flares) to calm it down.

 

I'm glad you at least have a diagnosis!

 

Pinky has Discoid and Systemic lupus. She takes tetracycline, niacinamide, Vitamin E, and fish oil. If she has a bad flare, she takes a course of prednisone. She leads a very normal life and is a happy girl

[fsugrad]

Rita, please don't worry. Dogs with problems like this usually lead very normal lives in terms of lifespan. You may have some new flares along the way, but you'll learn to identify them at the first sign and get Robin on another course of pred (or a higher dose, depending on if he'll be taking it all the time or just for flares) to calm it down.

 

I'm glad you at least have a diagnosis!

 

Pinky has Discoid and Systemic lupus. She takes tetracycline, niacinamide, Vitamin E, and fish oil. If she has a bad flare, she takes a course of prednisone. She leads a very normal life and is a happy girl

Thanks Kristin. Reading that definitely makes me feel better.

[greyhoundlov]

How is the big guy feeling today?

[mychip1]

My friend has a sixteen your old mixed-breed who has had a vicious skin condition on and off for years - major steroid treatment, etc. (Don't know if it is the same thing or not - but the condition appeared devistating.) She was around one when my friend "brought her home" (i.e. removed her from two foot chain that she sadly called home in a back yard). They battled the skin issue for years but won the battle. Keep up hope!!!

[fsugrad]

How is the big guy feeling today?

He's feeling quite well, I think. His appetite is definitely back. He's eating a steak a day while Jim, me, and the boys will probably eat pancakes for dinner tonight

He has his normal Tigger-like bounce in his step when he goes for his walks and he is playing with his toys again.

Only thing is that with him on steroids, he pees a lot more than he used to. So when he says he wants out, he really needs out.

ETA--Oh, and I forgot to say that despite feeling well, he looks pretty rough with all the bald patches on his face and ears.

Edited September 22, 2010 by fsugrad

[silverfish]

Well, first of all, don't panic.

 

I'm happy to hear you have a diagnosis, although before you'll know what the prognosis is, you'll need to know the type of pemphigus you're dealing with. Most are uncomfortable, and a great nuisance, and there's one that's more severe, but I'm pretty sure they can all be got under control with the right drug regime, unless you're really, really unlucky. You need to ask your vet these questions though, because he or she can best answer you and (hopefully) now know which type he has.

 

He's a lucky dog to have ended up with you - someone who cares enough about him and his welfare to get him the best possible treatment and do whatever is necessary to give him the best quality of life.

 

Oh, just read your last reply. Yes, steroids will make him pee more and probably with urgency. Hopefully, once his pemphigus is under control, the vet will reduce his dose and it will be more manageable.

 

Don't be tempted to limit his water though, unless you check with your vet first.

[carronstar]

Now that you have a real diagnosis you can find your way. From what I have read about pemphigus, it is a very controllable disease. Apparently there are food concerns with it and raw feeding seems to be one thought...in that case, Robin seems to be fine with the idea of a raw steak! Robin is lucky to have you as his mom.

 

 

[EllenEveBaz]

I don't know about pemphigus, but I'm sending best wishes. Nutmeg and Romie send tail wags to Robin and ask where they can sign up for the steak-a-day-diet.

[Guest twhitehouse]

I'm glad Robin finally has a clear diagnosis. From what I've read there are several types of pemphigus, but most sound controllable.

 

Best wishes to Robin.

[Remolacha]

I am glad you know what you are dealing with now. hoping he starts to feel better soon!

[fsugrad]

Thank you everyone. I have more information now that I've had a chance to speak to the vet. Also the vet school emailed me Robin's report.

He has pemphigus foliaceous. We are going to get Robin's immune system under control from attacking the skin and try to get him into remission. Once he is hopefully in remission and his skin looks better, we'll taper down his dosages of meds, which he's going to get blasted with at the onset.

4 cephalexin a day, 4 prednisone 20 mg a day, and 1 1/2 azathioprine 50 mg every other day.

We will have to monitor his bloodwork regularly to make sure this isn't taking too hard a toll on his body.

[45MPHK9]

glad you finally have some answers, rita. hugs to that sweet boy of yours.

[greymomnc]

I'm so glad you finally got a diagnosis! I'm glad Robin is back to his charming self! I hope he gets his lovely cow fur back soon. Jonelle and Streak send Robin & Toby big cowdog kisses from NC.

 

:gh_runner

[krissn333]

I may have mentioned it before but it bears mentioning again...if you can feed raw, do it. If you're like me and just don't have 1) the availability and 2) the space to store a bunch of meat, look for something grain free. My dogs all eat Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream with great success. A grain free diet is especially indicated for dogs with problems like lupus/pemphigus, etc. and for people with similar afflictions (I'm included there as I have lupus ).

 

The TOTW made a HUGE difference in Pinky's coat quality and flaky skin. Her pink nose even has some black spots on it now It's also been a godsend for my IG Skimmie...I could never keep weight on him and this food does the trick. He also has some skin issues and it's helped him in that department as well

[silverfish]

Yep, from what I've read raw can have a significant effect on pemphigus.

 

 

He has pemphigus foliaceous. We are going to get Robin's immune system under control from attacking the skin and try to get him into remission. Once he is hopefully in remission and his skin looks better, we'll taper down his dosages of meds, which he's going to get blasted with at the onset.

4 cephalexin a day, 4 prednisone 20 mg a day, and 1 1/2 azathioprine 50 mg every other day.

We will have to monitor his bloodwork regularly to make sure this isn't taking too hard a toll on his body.

 

Well, pemphigus foliaceus is better than both pemphigus vulgaris and bullous pemphigoid! As long as the meds work quickly and do their job, he'll be fine.

[maggiespet]

Continued prayers for sweet Robin. Glad you know what it is now and can work at getting rid of it. Hugs to you Rita.

 

Maggie would like to hop on the Steak Train.

[GreyPoopon]

I'm glad you have a diagnosis. I hope the treatment plan takes care of things quickly.

 

Robin.