Prednisone

[Stacy]

So, I'm hoping to pick the brains of everyone who struggles with allergies in their dogs. I know I should just go to the dermatologist for skin testing and allergy shots, but honestly I'm not ready to put her through that yet. 

I've tried several antihistimines and the duoxo shampoo with limited success, and I know we need to go further. So I talked to my vet and he said we can do prednisone or apoquel. I said I was concerned with the long term side effects of both. And he felt that she did well on low dose prednisone the long term side effects would be minimal. He suggested 10-20mg prednisone every 2-3 days. 

She got a steroid shot on the 9th and then I gave her 10mg of prednisone on the 12th. Then I gave her another 10mg today - she really started getting itchy again last night and this morning. But I felt that she was much less itchy before that. 

Anecdotally, she is very well potty trained, but after the steroid injection she peed in the house once on the 10th and the 11th. She hasn't done it again since. I want to attribute that to the steroid. And I really don't want that to become a thing. I'm not sure if it would have a higher incidence with the injectable steroid than with oral steroids, or... I don't even know. Maybe it was coincidence. 

I really want to do the right thing for her, I just don't know what it is. I would love opinions on this. 

Thank you! Stacy

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Vets who teach at vet schools are UTD on all of the latest research and treatment options, so that's an excellent sign. 

Yeah, I was pretty sure she'd been on prednisone too recently to have the testing done this Tuesday. But the charges for the testing are going to be the same whether you see the vet the same day or at a separate appointment. 

Jack's antigens are also made up at his dermatologists office, which is really convenient. 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

It's so funny, Stacy, people in other states consider a hundred miles so far away.  Here in California it is never the distance we measure, it's the traffic time.  :-}  Our vet dermatologist was about 80 miles away but in travel time with Southern California traffic we had to allow up to 3 hours!

[Stacy]

It really is funny! My accidental rental house and vet are 25 miles away, and you would think it's the moon the way I whine about having to go out there. It's about 40 minutes, give or take. 

We don't have any traffic to speak of around here. I mean, the highway occasionally gets backed up. And it might take a few extra minutes to get home during rush hour, but nothing like what you're talking about. The exception was after the Royals won the World Series - during the parade. The entire city was gridlocked. The drive to work normally takes 15 minutes and that day it took almost 3 hours. I almost lost my mind! 

I would take your beaches in a heartbeat! But you keep the traffic!