Bette Update-Improving With Steroid; No Heart Issues

Bette saw the cardiologist today who said she is still heart issue/heart disease free and can continue taking prednisolone for the rear leg/spine inflammation. 

Bette has shown marked improvement since taking steroids Monday afternoon-even by Monday night. She is eating better, she has not lost weight-her weight today was 11.13, what it was Friday. She is moving better, still a bit shaky, but trying to use her paws and not her hocks. She tried to jump up on furniture today. Her tail is now moving sideways but not yet going up. She has been slow to empty her bladder. Tuesday she went out of the box a few times and on the pads we had under the box. But this morning, she used the box twice-small amounts. I was concerned that urine retention would lead to a bladder infection/kidney infection which is a serious issue, possibly life threatening. She saw the vet after the cardio and they were going to check her urine but her bladder was small, meaning she has been able to empty it somewhat. The vet hopes that will improve but that Zeniquin-for the infected anal glands-will also prevent/take care of a UTI. 

Then this afternoon, she did TWO large urines. She is still having trouble passing bowel movements despite Miralax. The vet has prescribed a medicine Prucalopride to help the colon muscles contract. She will take a very low dose. We are getting it compounded so that we can titrate the dose as needed.

The vet wants to continue steroids until Bette improves-2 to 4 weeks. We will taper off the steroid as required (the body makes steroid so when it has a steroid medication, it stops making as much as needed. Tapering off allows the body to begin making a level of steroid that it requires.) 

If the condition does not improve or if it returns, or even if she is just fine, she may at some point need an MRI to check the arthritis vertebrae noted on the xray. Dogs often have issues with their vertebrae being compressed, causing muscle/nerve damage and difficulty walking, urinating/bowel movement. Most dogs can successfully have surgery. It's rare for cats to have serious issues that would need surgery, and rarer still for owners to get surgery. I think we would skip it-expense being one, invasive and with a possible low outcome of improvement as another. But an MRI-expensive-would tell us if this is a chronic condition or is a temporary one. 

So for now we continue with meds and monitor progress. The vet wants a progress report Friday and a new xray to check her colon if she is not passing enough fecal matter.