FD and cortizone question.

[Anyname]

LB has to take cortizone. Unfortunately I stopped the Neoral (auto immune drug) last week coz of the side effects but now the granuloma on his tongue has grown to an unmanageable size. Vet has started him on low dose cortizone: delta-cortef 5mgs per day. To my untrained eye he seems quite unwell plus his breath smells of sour blood. He had Convenia last week so is under the influence of a long acting antibiotic but I'm wondering if it might be a good idea to double the cortizone to 10 mgs initially because the granuloma is causing him so much discomfort - he is trying to swallow it constantly. It's much more important to get the granuloma under control right now than to worry about his FD. I am bg testing regularly and will increase the Lantus if his numbers rise too much. There are few options with eosinophilic granuloma. Auto immune medication or cortizone. Anyone know anything about Delta-cortef?

 

[Deanie and Boo (GA) and Scout]

It's much more important to get the granuloma under control right now than to worry about his FD.

I agree 100%. My Boo didn't have the eosinophilic granulomas but he had to be on steroids for his pancreatitis. We just managed the diabetes around it because it was the only thing that maintained his quality of life. Diabetes and steroids aren't an optimal combination but you do what you have to do.

I'm not familiar with that medication but if the low dose isn't shrinking the granuloma, I would either ask to up the dose or try a different medication.

 

[nwnews]

I don't know anything about this particular steroid but in general steroids can cause diabetes and can make blood glucose management more difficult. The fact that your hometesting and can adjust the insulin accordingly is a big plus. My cat Sitka is on a steroid, budesonide, for inflammatory bowel disease and that actually caused her to become diabetic. It sounds to me like you need to increase the dosage of the steroid to get this under control. Jan

 

[Anyname]

For the moment I've been saved from having to make a decision. An unbelievable thing happened over night. LB vomited up the tumour that was growing on his tongue. It must have been growing in such a way that it was hanging from a thread. He was dreadfully miserable last night having trouble breathing and trying to swallow it. It was on the carpet with a bit of vomit this morning and he's much clearer in his throat for getting rid of it. I took it to the vet and they are sending it away to pathology. They didn't believe me that it was the tumour - she thought I said the cat had vomited up tuna!!! She came back on the phone line and said: We don't send cat vomit away to pathology. I finally got thru to her and the vet took a look at it and agree's its the weirdest thing! So he's breathing clearly for now! Path results will make it easier for us to manage him in the future!