Louie is a 6 3/4 year old miniature pinscher who has congenital disc disease, a fused spine and pancreatitis. He is male, neutered, and normal weight. He eats Royal Canin Gastrointestinal Low Fat Low Fiber Canned food. I don’t like the inferior ingredients, but it is the only food he can tolerate. His stools are good on them and he urinates more frequently now on his medication. He has been on prednisolone for almost two years and may have Cushing’s disease his vet now believes from it. His enzymes have been elevated and specifically the one that indicates he may have it. (this third time of testing) We have the dosage down to 1/2 tablet (4 mg) of prednisolone every three days. (just cut back from every two days) I have been giving him Mercola’s digestive enzymes, and his heartburn and digestive problems have improved greatly. He is also on Ascenta Omega 3 oil. He became unable to walk for 6 weeks and we were told this would happen and he would need a cart as they could not operate on his 5 or 6 (ruptured or herniated?) discs because of his severely fused together spine. The Omega 3 and God’s grace got him walking and up on his feet again…nothing short of a miracle…even in the vet’s eyes. I would like to give him antioxidants to improve his health. I read milk thistle is not good to take with prednisolone. (something about prednisolone being a class of drug that conflicts with milk thistle.) I was going to buy Thorne, but that contains milk thistle, so that is out. So, which brand of antioxidants would you recommend I give him? I want to boost his immune system, which is much more vulnerable being on the prednisolone. I have to be careful with his pancreatitis and his prednisolone. The prednisolone they say keeps him walking, and he will never be able to get off of it, but I hope to be able to get him off it completely some day. He is so anxious and angry and not himself when he takes it. The first day his behavior is so aggressive. Thank you for your time.
Hello,
Thank you for your inquiry to Holistic Pet Info. It’s good to hear Louie is doing well; though being on steroids for two years is very detrimental to his overall health. Has your vet considered placing Louie on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication instead? If you are concerned about the liver and milk thistle you may offer CurcuVet by Thorne. It does not contain Milk thistle but is great for hepatic support and joint health. You may also offer Immugen by Thorne it is a great formula for immune system function and cellular support.
Louie is an excellent candidate for acupuncture and chiropractic treatments. I highly suggest you take Louie to a holistic vet as they can help with whole body health. His diet should be addressed as well, as an optimal diet makes a vast difference on intervertebral disc health. Best of luck.
Regards,
Colleen Smith DVM, CVA, CVCP