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Long...Anyone have experience with Immune Mediated Response?
My 4.5 year old BC/Aussie/Lab/Pit??? mix started limping for no apparent reason in November (DD and I were out of state, DH took him to ER). Vet didn't see anything wrong, thought a muscle pull. Harley was on Rimadyl for a few days and seemed better so we d/c'd. A few days later, limping again, Rimadyl again, a few days later better, then limping again... worse. Went to vet again who said it was probably a groin pull which take a long time to heal. We did 30 days or Rimadyl and rest. 3 days after d/c Rimadyl, limping again, way worse. Back to vet for x-rays, etc. They found fluid in his ankle and did a draw. They said there were too many red blood cells to be certain but it looked like an immune mediated response. No infection. They started him on Prednisone and we're now in the tapering stages of that.
The doc's have no idea what triggered it (his vax were months ago so it wasn't that) and they keep saying that he could have another flare up at anytime during his life and his immune system could attack anything in his body and we need to just be on the look-out. That's terrifying to me. We didn't see anything wrong with his ankle and he's a really tough kid. What if it attacks his red blood cells and we don't see any signs of anything until it's too late?
Also, he's a completely different dog now. He can't get into the car or up on the couch by himself anymore. He's tired all the time and he's losing about a pound a week (started at 72 pounds in November and is now 65.8). I ask the vet if this is just how he'll be forever or if it's because of the Prednisone and she says, "not really sure, it could be some of both or neither..."
I'm so sick of not being taken seriously, treated like I know nothing about my dog, and being patronized here. And I'm scared... rightfully so because my once exuberant border collie is now acting like a 12 year old lab.
Does anyone have experience with Immune Diseases? Prednisone? Anything? I really appreciate any wisdom or insight you might have!
Re: Long...Anyone have experience with Immune Mediated Response?
Yes! Guinness was diagnosed with Idiopathic Immune Mediated Polyarthritis about a year ago.He is only 5 years old and started limping at camp. They thought he injured himself jumping. Over the next two weeks he limped on different legs and was in and out of the vet. He was on rimadyl. x-rays were done, tested for lyme...nothing came up and nothing was helping!
He has been on prednisone twice now when he has a flare up, but it always makes it better. We have also noticed that chiropractic adjustments have helped a lot. Our chiro also gave us some homeopathic meds which our vet okayed along with the pred (he is no longer on it and I forget the name-sorry) and he is also on a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement. How long was your dog on the prednisone? I noticed an almost immediate positive effect in G once the rimadyl was out of his system and we could start the pred.
Have you considered a second opinion? How slowly are you tapering the pred?
I hope your pup feels better soon.
Thanks so much for the info! I hadn't even thought of a chiro (even though I see one for myself!!)! Harley seemed fine on the Rimadyl (been off of it for over a month now) but is absolutely miserable on Prednisone!
I am thinking about having his records sent back to his old vet for another opinion but I'm afraid of the financial strain it will put on us. We've already had to do the toss up between groceries and the vet bill once last month (we chose the vet bill, duh) and we can't do it again (I was laid off and haven't found work yet). The practice where we're going now has several docs that have looked over his file and they're supposed to be one of the best in the state so I don't feel we NEED more opinions but I'm tempted to call someone I trust to look him over...
So, Guinness seemed okay on Prednisone? He didn't act funny or lose weight or anything crazy? Our vet is talking to me like I'm a nut saying that my dog is not okay on Pred but my brother came to visit for the first time in a couple of months and told me, word for word, "he's a different dog. I wouldn't recognize him if I saw him on the street."
He's no longer limping at all and they've been checking his joints for fluid every 2 weeks and he's been clear so that's good but he's miserable and I can't help but wonder if something else is going on or... is Pred just THAT hard on dogs???
Thanks again!
Guinness was great on pred. He actually gained weight (which he did not need to gain). I asked about how long your dog was on pred and how the tapering is going because fatigue and malaise can be a symptom of withdrawal. Usually the drug itself makes them hungry and thirsty and crazy.
I am wondering if something else is going on. Has he been tested for lyme? What other tests have they run? My vet said that immune mediated response is usually diagnosed when nothing else can be diagnosed.
Have you looked into Care Credit for the vet bills? It is interest free usually for six months and really helps relieve the burden.
That all makes sense. Thanks. As far as behavior changes, he's really lethargic and weak. He seems like an old dog now. He no longer has a great deal of patience with DD (he used to be a saint with her, now he gets frustrated and tries to move away). His favorite spot used to be on the couch but he can't muster the strength to get up there now. He no longer gets excited to go for walks or rides in the car (which he can no longer jump into by himself). He's like a grumpy old man : ( Does that all sound like normal pred side effects?? Or does Immune Mediated Disease cause rapid aging/personality changes like that? Our vet keeps saying it could get better as we taper the pred OR it could be permanent due to the disease... gotta love how we get a bunch of non-answers from them : (
We have another recheck next Wednesday where the doc will make sure there's still no fluid in his ankle and she'll confirm that we'll do .5 tab every other day for another week before d/cing the pred.
Seriously though, I wonder if it's worth going in sooner for her to look at him again and actually LISTEN to me perhaps about his weight loss and personality change. I see hip bones and his back is protruding. I've just told her the same thing over and over and she responds the same way every time, saying that it's all side effects of pred and should start getting better soon... I don't know what else to say to her.