Eosinophilic Granulomas - next step?

Hi Guys,

I am toying with putting Faith on prednisone long term for eosinophilic granulomas. Unfortunately I know because it's auto-immune she will require a higher dose of the pred. I know of another cavalier that's on 2.5mg/day. I am not a fan of long term prednisone due to side effects... Faith already has hip displaysia (puppy mill rescue - buyer beware!) so I am worried about bone loss. Any opinions on what kind of effect a higher dosage over a long period of time will have?

Riley, my black and tan, doesn't have the same issue, but she has been on 5 mg prednisone/day for over 2 years now for her SM. It is the only thing that has helped her. She is also on denamarin to help protect her liver. Like Faith, she started to lose all of her hair. She was bald on her belly. She was also on 1000mg fish oil (which was a combination of fish oils) daily at the time. I took her off the fish oil and put her on 1000mg wild, deep sea salmon oil. Within two months her fur came back much more lustrously and has grown back everywhere, even on her belly, except for her tail. So maybe when she can be back on fish, you can try her on salmon oil. Prednisone gets such a bad rep, but in my book, it is a lifesaver and Riley would not be in the shape she's in or be the happy dog she is without it. I will keep her on 5 mg prednisone for as long as it continues to help her and we will deal with the side effects. Good luck trying to sort Faith's illnesss out. On a related note, I have eosinophilic esophagitis - probably related to Faith's disease. It is an autoimmune disease of the esophagus with the current thinking that it is probably related to an allergy (food? environmental? nobody knows) My elimination diet involved no wheat, fish, soy, dairy, eggs, or nuts. What else is there? Wine I guess!

Interesting and good to hear lovemycavaliers. I will put her on it if i absolutely have to but I really don't want to. I have a different view of prednisone than a lot of others but I also work with it daily and see side effects from it quite regularly. Faith's blood tests showed up with elevated liver enzymes when she had her first hit of it.

can I ask you how you deal with your eosinophilic esophagitis? Is it just the diet, or?

Was Faith on Denamarin while she was on Prednisone? Luckily that has seemed to protect Riley's liver. Her liver enzymes have always been within normal range and she has them checked every three to four months.

Right after the holidays I will try another dietary challenge. The first time I tried it, it was inconclusive. I am with a new doctor now who understands the disease more than my old doctor did and has a more systematic approach to it. Until then I am on a proton pump inhibitor (protonix) and a steroidal asthma medication that I don't inhale but swallow instead. The eosinophils create an inflammatory response in my esophagus making swallowing difficult at times and I have had several food impactions that have had to be surgically removed. For the time being, my meds are keeping me in remission. Thanks for asking.

Hi. Sorry I can't help with any advice on prednisone as I've never had to use it but I was wondering if you'd mind me asking what Faith's symptoms are? The reason I'm asking is that I was told Dylan had eosinophilic granulomas a year ago but he has never been given any treatment for it. It doesn't seem to be bothering him at the moment but I'd like to know what to look out for in case it does in the future. I've never been able to find much information about it and didn't know of any other cavs with it.

Thanks!

Have allergies been ruled out? I have a cat who had the "rat lip" and sores on her toes who has been diagnosed with this, as have her 2 children that my sister has. Hers is caused by an allergy to fish (as a matter of fact, she has her first one in years right now from stealing Rose's puppy food :roll: ). No fish, no problems, for all 3 of them. Just a thought- I read in one place that allergies are suspected in dogs, too, and one that didn't mention allergies, so I thought I would throw it out there, just in case . I hope it clears up soon.

Lovemycavaliers - No she wasn't on denmarin for liver enzymes, but she did have bloodwork done when she got sick and was on prednisone and DID have elevated liver enzymes. At that time we also put her on famotidine for her stomach.
wow it sounds like you've really been through the ringer!! What a frustrating ordeal I read about a little boy who had eosinophilic esophagitis not too long ago and he couldn't eat hardly anything I have put her back on the salmon oil already - in fact I begged the dermatologist to do it, LOL I am wondering about a proton pump inhibitor. As far as I can tell they really don't find eosinophilic esophagitis in dogs - but what else would you call it? :| ya know?

Jane,

Faith is a bit of a complicated case. She started out having some skin lesions on her hocks:



Then she was having trouble breathing sometimes and snores loudly so was put out and we found the granulomas. Unfortunately they are in her throat so even though she might be "asymptomatic" I am worried about the long term complications on her throat.

Eosinophils are a kind of white blood cell that are responsible for allergy reactions as well as some parisitic reactions. We did a food trial with her and came up empty and now are considering trying Atopica - thinking it could be environmental allergies.

Thanks Sara. Dylan has 2 lesions on his hard palate which were found on intubation when he had his MRI. I think it is quite rare but apparently it is a problem occasionally found in cavaliers.

I'm sorry Faith is having problems and hope you can find some sort of solution soon.