Prednisone - a miracle drug for Senior Dogs?

Hunny Bunny

Let me start this post by saying.....I am not a veterinarian nor an expert on this subject, however, right now we have five dogs who are taking prednisone, for some completely different reasons, and it has been beneficial for all five of them. I was compelled to do some research and this post is a summary of our experiences and what I have learned. 

The Old Friends who are on prednisone right now are:
Rannie - for elevated liver enzymes causing loss of appetite. The cause is still unknown. Although the enzyme levels are not down, they are not up either and her energy level and appetite are back to normal. Also taking Denamarin.
Lucy - her blood work showed anemia and high white blood cell count. She is now back in normal levels. Also took antibiotics.
Charlotte and Hunny Bunny - both are on a low dosage maintenance level of prednisone to help with difficulty walking because of back and/or joint pain due to arthritis. Their improvement has been significant. It works much better for both of them than carprofen, which also has potentially dangerous side effects.
Maggie - for allergies. She is scratching less and her ears are staying clear.
It is amazing to me that one drug can do so many things.....

Prednisone is a synthetic steroid, used for animals and humans,  that lessens inflammation and lowers the body's immune response. Because of these effects, it is useful for a variety of senior dog problems. It's use is not to be taken lightly, as there are as many potentially dangerous side effects as benefits, but, if used correctly, it has significant quality of life improvement potential for the senior dog. With senior dogs, our decisions weigh more heavily toward quality of life than quantity of years, so, although a strong consideration still, long term side effects are of lesser importance than they would be for a middle aged or younger dog.

Before taking prednisone, the dog must be stop taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), such as carprofen (Rimadyl, Novox and others) for several days. Using these drugs together or without the waiting period can have a fatal reaction. Always, a veterinarian should monitor any changes in medication.

Prednisone is started at a higher dosage and is either decreased over a period of days or weeks until it is no longer used or it is tapered down to an, as low as possible, maintenance dosage. The reason for this taper down is that prednisone is similar to cortisol, a hormone naturally produced by the adrenal glands. While taking prednisone, the adrenal glands will reduce the cortisol that they produce. If the prednisone were to be suddenly stopped, the dog's body would have withdrawal symptoms. By gradually decreasing the dosage of prednisone, the adrenal glands are given the time to resume their normal functions.

There are many possible side effects of prednisone, especially with long term or higher dose usage. The risk of side effects must be balanced against the benefits of use. In senior dogs, the scale tips toward quality of life issues, since without quality of life, quantity is not important. In the case of Hunny Bunny and Charlotte, they are barely able to stand up or walk without prednisone. Other options, such as carprofen, have not been as effective and carry their own risks. Both of them are also on a glucosamine/condroitin supplement that may or may not be helping, but it is inexpensive and without adverse side effects. Lucy took prednisone for a specific problem and is currently being weaned completely off of it.
Some of the side effects of prednisone include relatively minor issues such as increased hunger and thirst, but can also cause ulcers, muscle loss and personality changes. It suppresses the immune system and can reduce the resistance to other diseases. In the most severe cases it can cause a susceptibility to diabetes due to metabolic changes or can cause canine Cushing's disease which is caused by a hormonal imbalance.

Prednisone is administered for the treatment of numerous diseases and conditions, including, but not limited to, allergies, inflammation from arthritis and back problems, auto-immune disease, asthma and tumors. In senior dogs, it can offer a significant quality of life improvement that often outweighs the risk of side effects. In a younger dog, risks and benefits must be weighed differently. Your veterinarian is your best source for information on medication and it's usage. Prednisone, like any medication, should only be given to your dog as prescribed by your veterinarian.

These are a Few of our Favorite Things - Beds

I think Gracie might be more comfortable with her head ON the bed

I just took a bed count in our house; we have two human beds and ten dog beds. I should correct that and just say we have twelve beds.... the humans don't sleep on the dog beds, but the other two are first come, first sleep. Of the ten dog beds, five are conventional pillow beds, very popular with the smaller dogs and occasionally one of the big guys will cuddle up. The other five are Coolaroos, a camp cot type, off of the ground, indoor/outdoor bed.
Coolaroos are great. They have no stuffing, so there is no temptation to rip them to shreds and pull the innards out (thank goodness, we are past that stage with our gang). They are lifted off of the ground and are made out of a porous weatherproof fabric that allows both air and water to flow through. We have had some of them for several years and they still look nearly as good as they did when they were new. The one on the back porch is a favorite in cooler weather, even right after a rain. One of the ones in the house is placed right over an air-conditioning vent and the air comes right up through it. Guess which is the favorite Coolaroo in the house in the summer. Added bonus, they are very inexpensive...only about $35 for the large (golden retriever) size and, if necessary, you can get a replacement cover for under $20.

Gracie helps to assemble a new Coolaroo

Even Hunny Bunny occasionally uses the outdoor Coolaroo

Belly prefers a pillow, it fits her Princess image

Gracie is flexible in her sleeping preferences

Zuzu enjoys the sun on the back porch

Sometimes the human/dog bed gets a little crowded

 

Rosco

Rosco was adopted from Nashville Humane Society in 2003 by our son when he was still a college student. Rosco was only about two years old at the time and we fell in love with him when he got up into the chair in the office at Nashville Humane. After a walk around the block, Jason knew that Rosco was the one. However, it was no surprise that a few years later, when lives changed, Rosco became our dog. We wouldn't have had it any other way. 
Rosco has always been a little on the cautious side. For the first week he was afraid of the ceiling fan in Jason's room. He is a worrier, starting out with a concerned look, then a whine then a full bark when things didn't seem right. He's still the first one to start any type of mass hysteria about absolutely nothing.
Rosco has the most wonderful donut tail. It does a complete 360 degrees and then some. His tail tells of his moods. When we had Reggie here a few years ago, Rosco's tail went straight down for a few weeks. Soon after it drooped, Reggie pulled a power play that worked up to a severe attack on Rosco that ended up with a bad bite to Michael's hand and a new foster home for Reggie. A few days after Reggie left, Rosco's tail was doing a full circle again. When Layla first joined our family, Rosco was unsure and again, down went his tail. Once he realized that she was going to be a friend, the tail was up and around again.
Everyone loves Rosco. All of the other dogs want to be his friend, big and small. He is kind to newcomers; when Ginger first got here no one wanted to have anything to do with her because she was timid and unsure of herself. Rosco was the only one at that time (Gracie wasn't here yet), who spent time with her and made her feel at home. 
Rosco is now older, about eleven years old. He was recently diagnosed as hypothyroid and was put on  medication. Since the medication he has lost almost 10 pounds and is much more active than he has been in a few years. He's much more relaxed, but still likes to get everyone stirred up over not much. 

Rosco in 2006

Rosco and lifelong friend Rannie

Asteroid loves to cuddle up to Rosco

Rosco and Charlotte

Coprophagia - a Post in Bad Taste

Warning: if your stomach is easily turned you may not want to continue to read this post….

 

No pictures will be included.

 

Today, in an email conversation, the subject of Coprophagia came up….. what’s that? You might ask. 

 

Here’s the Webster’s definition:  the eating of feces that is normal behavior among many animals

 

NORMAL!! You say….NORMAL??? Why in the world would any animal, especially my cute and perfect dog who is fed the best food, groomed to perfection and trained with the best trainer, want to EAT POOP?? What in the world is normal about that!?!? If you Google it, it is referred to as a disorder, a problem and a disease. Then you will find multitudes of reasons for it to occur and just as many home remedies and cures that you can purchase. The bottom line is: No one ever told your dog that it is disgusting to eat Poop!! If it tastes good, they are going to eat it! Try putting a pound of hamburger on the ground in the back yard and see if they leave that there for long.

 

Now don’t get me wrong…. I’m just as grossed out as anyone else when I see our perfect Lucy Lu chowing down on a fresh pile of poo. I pick up poop every time I go outside the door just to avoid having to have this vision implanted on my brain. It is not unusual to see me running through the yard with a rake and scoop in my hands yelling “Lucy/Daisy/Charlotte, Whoever NOOOOOOO”.  Just today, and I am not joking about this just for comic relief from this subject, I was outside eating an ice cream cone and saw Daisy just getting ready……I ran for my rake and scoop, and with an ice cream cone pointing straight out of my mouth since my hands were full with the rake and scoop, I was running across the yard to try to beat her to it. Michael, just coming around the corner, got a real kick out of this and said something about wishing he had his phone handy for a picture. I’m glad that he didn’t.

 

There are many articles that address this subject with conclusions and recommendations and I think that I can address some of those items based entirely on experience. Face it; we have a lot of experience with more than 25 dogs over the last 25 years, not including foster and visiting dogs. I’d say about 20% of them were partial to eating  poop to some degree.

 

.       1. Your dog eats poop because it is not getting a balanced diet. Not true. We feed our dogs the best foods on the market as well as a home cooked stew of fresh meats and vegetables. Maybe the good diet just makes their poop taste better.

 

    2.   Add pineapple, pumpkin, spinach or garlic to your dog's food to make the poop taste bad. First of all, I actually add some of these foods (not garlic, garlic in high enough dosage can be toxic to your dog) into my stew for their nutritional value and it makes no difference at all. Face it; what doesn’t taste good to one dog is going to taste great to another. Do you and your best human friend like the same foods?

 

   3. You can train your dog to not eat poop. Maybe you can get your dog to not eat it when you are watching, but what happens when your back is turned. Try this. Put a sandwich on the edge of the counter. Your dog is probably trained to leave that sandwich alone as long as you are there. Leave the room for a few minutes and see what happens…… 

 

    4. Exercise your dog. Boredom causes poop eating. I have watched my most active dog, running through the yard at full speed while playing and having a grand old time, come to a screeching halt when she passed by a warm, fresh pile of poop.

 

To show how desperately some people want to try to get their dog to stop eating poop. Read the following recommendations, taken directly from a training website. Does this seem a little extreme to you?

 

·  Another method (I haven't tried this one) which you could adopt is to slice your dogs poop length wise and lace it with tabasco sauce or cayenne pepper (don't laugh, apparently it works).  

Come on now…. I sure wouldn’t try this one either (just imagine).  

·  In some cases fitting a muzzle to your dog may help to break a feces eating habit. This method is suitable in times when your dog is off leash, like at the beach or local dog park.

Ahhh yes….. let’s muzzle up the dog and have a nice trip to the beach or dog park. No fun for the dog and everyone at the beach or dog park is going to think that your dog is a vicious biter.

·  Use the power of "negative association" through the use of a choke or prong collar. Fit your dog with the collar and every time he goes to eat poop give a short sharp tug on the leash. This correction will quickly teach your dog that eating poop is not a pleasant experience.

Sorry, not even discussing this one. 

What works best?…..Clean up your yard. There are going to be some oversights, but if your yard is usually clean, you probably won’t see them. Don’t stress, but you may want to limit mouth on mouth kissing with your dog if you know that she has this habit. Finally, don’t forget THEY’RE DOGS!

 

In all seriousness - if your dog has a change of eating habits, including after a food or medication change, it is best to seek the advice of your vet.

 

 

These are a few of our Favorite Things - Toys

With as many dogs as we have and have had, we've tried a lot of products. Some have been good....some have been awful. In a series of posts, over time, I will share with you what we have found to be the best of these products. These are completely unsolicited posts; just passing along tips that may save you from all of the  $$$$s in bad purchases we made on the way to finding these products.
Toys.... it sounds easy. When Ginger and Gracie got together, they liked to play with toys. First thing.... we were off to PetSmart to buy them an assortment. Squeaky toys, plush toys, rope toys, hard rubber toys, nylatoys.... lots of toys. The house quickly started to fill with fluff, bits of cloth body parts, strings and pieces of rubber. They performed squeakerectomies and fluffosuction with great skill. By the end of the day the only thing recognizable was the snakeskin print on a shred of what was a velour snake toy.
In addition to being a mess, these little pieces of toy now became choke hazards and had to be picked up quickly.
Next thing I did was google "indestructible toys". How could I lose? It sounded like a plan. Below is the "worlds Tuffest soft toy" after only about an hour (still - this is one of my all time favorite photos).

It lasted about two more days. When you have multiple dogs on the same toy at the same time going in different directions, it is the ultimate toy test.
Along the way, I came across the "guaranteed tough" Zogoflex toys by West Paw. By this point, I was pretty skeptical of any guarantees or testimonies to toughness, but i figured it was worth a try.
The bumi was our first try... it did great until Toby came along.

Bumi pre-Toby

Bumi post-Toby

Still, the Bumi was the best so far so we tried another Zogoflex toy, the Hurley. If you know Lucy, you know Hurleys. 50% of the time, Lucy is carrying one or another of our family Hurleys. We have one of every color, and in two years, not one has been destroyed. (we have, however, lost two. We think that Rannie buried them).They get pulled, chewed, dropped, thrown... no damage whatsoever. They are squishy so they satisfy the chewing urge and are are great for pulling and yanking.

Pulling and stretching

one isn't enough for "Two Things" Gracie

 Toby having fun

Lucy's classic pose

they just can't take life seriously

Recently, West Paw came up with a new Zogoflex ball toy called the Jive. It is as popular as the Hurley and is loved by a different group of Old Friends. It's also indestructible and great for the ones who like to hold something in their mouths. Layla, Daisy and Toby especially like it. One warning though, they bounce. We live on a hill and one has already bounced over the fence into oblivion.

Daisy protects her Jive

Zuzu

Layla keeps her Jive close

Weathering the Storm

There are not many pictures with this post. It all happened in the dark... well, most of it, except when the lightening flashed.
We haven't had any rain in this area in several weeks and temps have been above 100 degrees for the last two weeks, so the rain was a welcome sight. The lightening and thunder, however, were not so popular.
We have never really had any super stormpobic dogs, we still really don't, they calm down quickly when the storm has passed. There wasn't much sleeping going on when the storm was here though.
Soon after laying down, the storms started. Leo barked, Zuzu whined, Layla paced. I was petting Leo and Maggie off the side of the bed with Rosco tight up against my back and asked Leo if he wanted to come up on the bed. Within seconds, he was tight up against my front and I couldn't move. I was Leo's thundershirt. In the meantime, Belly was between our pillows and Asteroid was pressed against my head. We heard a ruckus at the bottom of the bed and Charlotte needed help getting up at the foot of the bed. Soon after, Gracie climbed up and then there were six. Even with a king sized bed....not much room for humans. In the meantime, Layla was pacing around the bed and Zuzu was alternately whining and, when we reassured her that things were ok, thumping her tail next to the bed. Maggie was in the Coolaroo on one side of the bed and Rannie was in the Coolaroo on the other side of the bed. The rest of the gang was sound asleep....
After the storms had passed, everyone went to sleep and slept soundly though the night. All was well....except - where did Michael go? Squeezed right out.
We are expecting more storms tonight. I hope that they're over before bedtime......

The MTGRR Connection

If you've noticed that there are a lot of Golden Retrievers (or Golden Retriever wannabees) in our group, it's not a coincidence. A few years ago, we adopted our Crazy Gracie from Middle Tennessee Golden Retriever Rescue (MTGRR). We were at a point in our lives where we were looking for somewhere to volunteer our time and efforts. The rest of our life had gone from crazy and full time, taking up all of our time and energy resources, to calmer and more flexible, allowing us to redirect our focus in new directions.The volunteers and folks who were (and most still are) running MTGRR were a dedicated, sincere and organized group. We felt that we had found the right place to volunteer our efforts.
We started off doing transports and home visits and a few months later MTGRR had a desperate facebook plea for a foster home for Bandit, a 15+ year old Golden/Pyr mix who was dropped at a shclter and needed to find a new foster home ASAP. We said yes.
Bandit had some dementia which caused him to wander aimlessly at times. He stayed up all night pacing, maybe from some pain or other discomfort. He had trouble getting up and down and walking on the hard floors, but still seemed happy. He walked with the other dogs and took dips in the wading pools with them.

Bandit sitting with Ozkar and Charlotte

Cooling off in the pool

Bandit did have some happy days with us

This happiness only lasted a few weeks. Soon after, Bandit's health deteriorated quickly. He had extreme difficulty getting up at all and once he did, he would pace for hours day and night. Bandit was obviously in pain and after medication changes didn't help at all it was obvious that it was time to help him to go to the Rainbow Bridge.We were thankful that we had been able to provide him with those last few happy weeks.
While some folks would have been put off by this situation, we were shown that there was a need for foster homes for the old, disabled and un-adoptable dogs who were pulled from bad situations and brought into rescue. It was easy to find homes for young and middle aged, healthy dogs, but not for these equally deserving seniors. We had found our calling.....
Just a month later, and almost exactly two years ago, we fostered and within three days, adopted Lucy. Ten year old Lucy (Doggy Perfection) was rescued from a terrible hoarder situation and was not expected to live. Once she was treated with IV and antibiotics for weeks by a vet tech who volunteered for MTGRR, she needed a home where she could recuperate and join a real doggy family. She has been thriving here ever since. Lucy is the most amazing inspiration to anyone who meets her. After living for most of her life in deplorable conditions, she she is a happy, well adjusted girl now.

Lucy's signature smile

Romping through the grass on her first day here

Lucy with her favorite toy, the hurley

In late 2011, we took in Rosie, a pretty 15 year old in the MTGRR program who needed a new foster home because her wonderful foster family would be traveling. Rosie didn't take well to changes and needed somewhere where she could settle down and get comfortable. Rosie was completely deaf and had all the stiffness that came with her age. Even so, she was a happy girl who wanted nothing more than to follow her people around and be petted and scratched. Rosie thrived and lived with us for 15 months before going to the Rainbow Bridge earlier this year. She was happy until then, but in only a few days completely lost her ability to stand up so we knew that it was time to let her go.  There are so many things around the house that are still a reminder of Rosie, like the extra wide stairs and the wall to wall throw rugs. I think of her tilted, smiling face often.

Rosie's first day here

Rosie (second from right) and friends begging for sunflower seeds

Beautiful Rosie a year later

Just over a year ago, Bo and Daisy Duke came from a county shelter as a bonded pair. Bo was 11 and Daisy was 13. They were surrendered by their owner and had lived together for their entire lives. MTGRR wanted to keep them together as this transition was difficult enough for them without having to be split up. After their vetting, Bo and Daisy didn't have a foster home and we agreed to keep them here. They stuck together like glue for the first few weeks, Bo learned the doggy door, Daisy learned the doggy door, Bo slept in the dining room, Daisy slept right next to him. After a month they were just starting to feel comfortable apart and with the other dogs. Exactly a year ago, on 4th of July weekend, Bo was not acting himself. On Saturday he wasn't eating as well as usual and by Monday morning he couldn't even stand up. We rushed him to the emergency vet and he had an attack and passed on the examining table. It was determined that he had cancer in his lungs that had finally caught up with him. When we came home without Bo, Daisy was confused. She smelled things that Bo had touched and wandered aimlessly for the day. At that point, Daisy became a permanent member of the Old Friends Family. She was brought back to her happy self by the rest of the gang and has lived here happily ever since. For a 14 year old girl, she is doing great. She still chases the ball (but Gracie gets it) and loves a good roll on her back. 

Bo and Daisy together

Beautiful Daisy Girl

It's mine, all mine....

A little less than a year ago, MTGRR rescued Hunny Bunny, a 15 year old "maybe there's some golden in there" dog from a rural shelter. She was a cute, sheeplike, round furball who just needed a place to stay and a family to rub behind her ears. Honey was cute, but her outside life made her a less than desirable housemate. She had changed foster homes multiple times in just a few weeks and was headed to a vet's office to board until another place could be found for her. She came here. Hunny Bunny still has her issues; she forgets to go outside sometimes to go to the bathroom and gets stuck in strange positions due to her extra large turn radius and inability to get up from all surfaces. She needs regular supervision and doesn't eat well with others. That's ok, she's doing fine here. Our paper towel budget is higher than the average family  and we've learned how to work with her other problems. We are constantly working to get the weight off of her and keep it off as it makes it so much easier for her to get around. She is using the trail of throw rugs through the house to get around as she often has trouble getting up from a hard floor. Just a month or so ago, Hunny started to bark, something that she had never done before. She's using that skill more and more lately. She's a funny Hunny Bunny....

pretty Hunny Bunny

Hunny Bunny sits so funny

enjoying the outdoors

Beautiful Maggie was adopted by MTGRR a few years ago to her "forever" home. Just this past winter, at almost 13 years old, she was surrendered back to rescue because the owner moved and only took his other, younger dogs. We took her in at Old Friends, first to foster and then, once she showed how much she liked the company of the rest of the gang, we adopted her. Maggie came to us with skin and ear issues and a bag of strange food. We put her on our "sensitive senior" diet and most of her allergies have gone away. She is an opinionated girl with a big mouth sometimes, but deep down is as sweet as can be and is super easy to live with. She loves a roll in the hay in the backyard and sleeps in the doorway. All she wants from us is scratch behind the ears and an ice cube or two. Although Maggie gets along well with everyone, she doesn't do so well at feeding time, which gets her to her room before anyone else. Maybe that's her plan.

Maggie loves to roll in the hay

Happy with her friends

beautiful Maggie

In closing, we love our MTGRR dogs and truly value our relationship with MTGRR. While we are building Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary, we intend to stay involved with MTGRR as well. They are a wonderful group of people with good hearts and we are proud to be associated with them. We are thankful to them for allowing us to be involved and in showing us the way to our true passion in life. Senior Dogs....