Weight Loss And Back Issues (Not Necessarily Related)

[Houndmommy03]

My 11 year old, Silver, has been healthy up until the last week and a half. I came home a week and a half ago to find he wouldn't go up stairs and he would cry if you touched his back end. The vet was REALLY concerned as she had never seen a greyhound cry that much. During the exam he cried in pain and his back end just seemed to collapse. Xrays didn't show disc issues or bone cancer in the painful area. She decided to treat with prednisone, gabapentin and tramadol (if necessary for pain). After a couple of days he got back to normal for the most part. He doesn't seem to be in any pain and he will do stairs and runs around like his crazy self. But, his back end just isn't stable (don't know how else to describe). So that is one issue. Oh yeah, he is still on Gabapentin and we are currently tapering off of the prednisone.

 

When I took him for a follow up back appointment, 4 days after his intiial appt., he had lost 2 lbs. Later in the week I noticed that he just seemed skinnier so I took him to be weighed on Saturday and he had lost nearly another 2 lbs. That was nearly 4 lbs in a week. Plus, I had actually increase his food by a cup a day back in Novemeber because he was looking skinnier to me. The vet did a senior blood panel and everything came back fine. He does take thyroid meds but those levels are good as well so it doesn't appear that his meds are causing the weight loss and need adjusted. She said maybe the current meds he is on could be causing the weight loss but I thought prednisone and gabapentin had a tendency top cause weight gain (is that because you are hungrier and eat more or is it because they slow down your metabolism?).

 

So, the vet wants to just wait and see if if weight increases when he is totally off the meds (about a week from now) and then weigh him in a month. That just seems like a long time to wait. Any thoughts about all of this? I'm also considering increasing his food some more but not sure if that is the right thing.

 

Sorry for the long post. Thanks for reading!

 

Kim and Silver

[KF_in_Georgia]

Hi. I've got a Silver, too--a girl. But my senior dog is Sam, 12 and a half--with back trouble.

 

Prednisone, if I remember correctly, causes loss of muscle, so that could cause your Silver's weight loss. Ending the pred should be helpful. And I think older dogs just don't absorb nutrients as well from their food...at least, that's the case with Sam. So I'd just increase Silver's food maybe half a cup a day (Sam gets more kibble at bedtime--and it helps him sleep through the night). Please don't try changing Silver's food to one with more calories. If Silver tolerates his current food well, just give him extra, but changing a well-tolerated food often is a disaster, especially on a senior dog who really doesn't need to lose any weight to diarrhea from new food. (When he was ten, Sam's weight dropped from 65 to 57 pounds over a period of a few months. We got his weight back up easily with extra kibble.)

 

And talk to your vet about methocarbamol for pain. It's a muscle relaxer (Robaxin), and it helps when my Sam is tensing his muscles because his back is bothering him. (Sam has arthritis in one area of his spine, and slightly herniated disks in another area.) Methocarbamol can be given along with gabapentin and tramadol. You may also need to limit Silver's access to stairs and sofas.

 

And because I've been looking for an excuse to show off new photos of my handsome boy, I'm sticking in a gratuitous photo (from Saturday) of my old man with Santa:

 

[gryhndsr4us]

Dreamy lost weight when she first went on Pred. Once the dose was tapered down she gained it back. She is still on it and now we have to worry about her gaining weight.

[greyhead]

I think it's generally known among greyhound people that pred melts the weight off of greyhounds rapidly. It happened to us too. This happens despite any increase in eating that may occur. So eliminating the pred should stabilize that situation, and the weight should come back. At least it did for us, and rapidly, when our dog was 8 years old. Now that he's 12 it's a lot harder. (He's an IBD dog, and flares/diarrhea always make him drop a pound or two.) I agree with the suggestion not to change the food.

 

Sam's quite the good-looking guy, isn't he!

[Houndmommy03]

Thanks so much for the input on weight loss and prednisone. I feel better (have been thinking all kinds of scary things!). I will just increase the amount of food he's getting and weigh him in a month like the vet suggested. I knew I could count on Greytalk folks to help!

 

Yes, Sam is a handsome fellow! Love the picture.

 

Thanks!

Kim

[Charlies_Dad]

Our Shelby has similar issues and she is on Gabapentin only which really helps her.

[Batmom]

I would keep a closer eye on his weight. Pups here have never experienced weight loss from prednisone use -- if anything the opposite.

 

Hugs and hopes your pup continues to do well.

[tbhounds]

I would keep a closer eye on his weight. Pups here have never experienced weight loss from prednisone use -- if anything the opposite.

 

Hugs and hopes your pup continues to do well.

Humm interesting---I find that other breeds tend to maintain weight or even become somewhat potbellied (cushion like) but, I have always seen hounds drop muscle mass rather quickly after starting a corticosteroid especially prednisone.

[greyhead]

 

I would keep a closer eye on his weight. Pups here have never experienced weight loss from prednisone use -- if anything the opposite.

 

Hugs and hopes your pup continues to do well.

Humm interesting---I find that other breeds tend to maintain weight or even become somewhat potbellied (cushion like) but, I have always seen hounds drop muscle mass rather quickly after starting a corticosteroid especially prednisone.

 

Perhaps it depends on the condition for which they're taking it?

[krissn333]

The pred melted Pinky's muscle off, it was terrible.

 

Ace takes it for her leukemia and she has had SOME muscle loss, but part of it is also just old age.

 

Carrie takes it for her back issues. No problems, but I've kind of wanted to wean her off and get her on an NSAID instead.

[JJNg]

From what I've seen, the weight loss with pred seems to depend on dose/duration, and it also just varies from dog to dog. Greyhounds definitely seem more predisposed to the muscle loss, and I've also seen it in other muscular breeds, such as boxers.

 

When Willow was on pred for polyarthritis, she didn't experience any weight loss (or even any significant increase in drinking/urination). But since we thought that her polyarthritis was secondary to a Bartonella infection, rather than primary immune-mediated, I started her on a relatively low dose (anti-inflammatory, not immunosuppressive). She weighs about 55 lbs, and we started at 20 mg once daily and then did a very slow taper over a period of 4 months.

[Houndmommy03]

What I'm noticing in Silver is that is backbone and ribs and MUCH more pronounced plus today when I looked at him he seems almost "sunken" in the area between his ribs and back legs (not sure how to describe). He just looks sooooo skinny. I'll be anxious to get him off the prednisone (next week is his last pill) and see if he gains his weight back. It's so hard not to worry.

[racindog]

My experience with prednisone is very sad. It kept Aggie alive until it wasted her away to a bare wisp of a dog. She only got 10mg a day too. Some greyts just waste away on pred-a sad thing to witness-its like each day a little more of them is gone. It is truly a drug of ultra LAST resort to me. Also be aware that it is toxic when combined with MSM which a lot of supplements have.

Edited December 11, 2012 by racindog