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#1
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Downside of Fewer Depo Medrol Shots?
Some of you know that I have a cat with allergies and asthma, "EGC" immune
system problems. Because she gets both lesions of the lip and linear granulomas on her legs, AND asthma attacks and congestion AND general itchiness to the point of scratching her ears raw, my vet and I decided early on to try Depo Medrol (steroid) shots. They work great! However, there is a risk of serious side effects such as diabetes if they are given too often. What is two often? My vet said more than once every two months. Well, I worked hard to minimize allergens in the house and switched her food around, with some success. She went a year with no lesions of any kind, first time in the 5.5 years I have had her!! AND no asthma attacks. Until this morning. She had a coughing/wheezing fit and I took her right in. She is fine except for some new plaque buildup, the congestion, and slightly runny stools, which she has had for a while. I thought maybe my giving her new flavors of Fancy Feast did it--the fish flavors instead of beef and chicken--but the vet said diarrhea is another side effect of the allergy complex EGC. She gave me a liquid medicine (metronidazole) and a little syringe, I am to dose her 0.5 ml twice a day. It is supposed to restore her normal gut flora. So, I am thinking she needs to have two Depo shots a year, that it might not be the best thing to try to take her down to one a year. She's been frisky and happy, but itchy and congested, too. |
#2
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Downside of Fewer Depo Medrol Shots?
My mother has a 16 year old cat who has either been on prednisolone pills or
depo medrol shots for the last 12 years for granulomas. She hasn't developed diabetes yet. I don't think that twice a year is over kill on this if you can keep it under control using other methods along with it. I had a cat who had severe asthma she took theophylline on a daily basis along with lasix. I did like you and minimized everything that could trigger and event. I was pretty good at watching her body language and could tell when she was about to have an attack and could increase her prednisone accordingly prior to the attack to minimize it. But sometimes it didn't work and she still ended up with a shot. Sometimes you have to outweigh the risk verses the benefits. Celeste "cybercat" wrote in message ... Some of you know that I have a cat with allergies and asthma, "EGC" immune system problems. Because she gets both lesions of the lip and linear granulomas on her legs, AND asthma attacks and congestion AND general itchiness to the point of scratching her ears raw, my vet and I decided early on to try Depo Medrol (steroid) shots. They work great! However, there is a risk of serious side effects such as diabetes if they are given too often. What is two often? My vet said more than once every two months. Well, I worked hard to minimize allergens in the house and switched her food around, with some success. She went a year with no lesions of any kind, first time in the 5.5 years I have had her!! AND no asthma attacks. Until this morning. She had a coughing/wheezing fit and I took her right in. She is fine except for some new plaque buildup, the congestion, and slightly runny stools, which she has had for a while. I thought maybe my giving her new flavors of Fancy Feast did it--the fish flavors instead of beef and chicken--but the vet said diarrhea is another side effect of the allergy complex EGC. She gave me a liquid medicine (metronidazole) and a little syringe, I am to dose her 0.5 ml twice a day. It is supposed to restore her normal gut flora. So, I am thinking she needs to have two Depo shots a year, that it might not be the best thing to try to take her down to one a year. She's been frisky and happy, but itchy and congested, too. |
#3
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Downside of Fewer Depo Medrol Shots?
On Wed 30 May 2007 12:51:08p, cybercat wrote in
rec.pets.cats.health+behav : [...] So, I am thinking she needs to have two Depo shots a year, that it might not be the best thing to try to take her down to one a year. She's been frisky and happy, but itchy and congested, too. Good post, thanks for thinking of this. As you know my Shamrock has the same problems that Gracie has, except no sign of asthma. I haven't been successful in eliminating the allergens that cause his flare-ups, but the Cyclosporine has been mostly effective, with only one time now needing a boost from one Depo shot in almost the last year. I have noticed he has stinky runny poop now, but until you posted that I forgot about Shadow and his IBD, and IBD is also an auto-immune disease. That is treated with steroids, too, if altering the diet doesn't help. So you're right, they are related. I guess I'll have to talk with his vet about this. He might benefit from 2x yearly, too. Gosh I hate overloading his system with drugs but as Celeste said you have to measure the risks against the benefits and do what helps their QOL. -- Cheryl |
#4
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Downside of Fewer Depo Medrol Shots?
"Cheryl" wrote I have noticed he has stinky runny poop now, but until you posted that I forgot about Shadow and his IBD, and IBD is also an auto-immune disease. That is treated with steroids, too, if altering the diet doesn't help. So you're right, they are related. I guess I'll have to talk with his vet about this. He might benefit from 2x yearly, too. Gosh I hate overloading his system with drugs but as Celeste said you have to measure the risks against the benefits and do what helps their QOL. Cheryl, I forgot to say, that his is what my vet said--she actually mentioned that "these cats with autoimmune deficiency often develop IBD." From reading about that in this group, I knew it could be bad, and she agreed. Thanks for mentioning it. I think Depo Medrol can be a miracle drug when used carefully, for some cats. Granted, Rhonda had a terrible experience with a similar drug, was it one dose and the cat becale diabetic? Poor baby. One scary thing: this vet convinced me that Gracie has got to have a dental, with anesthetic, ugh that scares me to death. She said complications are very rare, and that given Gracie's risk of infection, it is worth the risk of the anesthesia. If I do it I am going to be a wreck until she is back in my arms, awake. And I will do it. I want to give her every chance. |
#5
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Downside of Fewer Depo Medrol Shots?
"Cheryl" wrote If it makes you feel any better, Shamrock has had 2 dentals in his young life. He has a tendency toward gingivitis (probably also related, but that's a guess). He's been fine both times, though our *new* vet gave him a different anesthesia and it took him a long time to come out of it even after coming home. ahhhh, gad, I would have been a wreck. Thing is, the vet showed me the tartar buildup on one side--just one, isn't that odd? She is really neat, she said, "in our teeth and cats' teeth, plaque is like a little bacteria castle. It takes calcium and other things from our blood and builds a nice little home for itself." I love my new vet. She takes time to explain more complicated things as well, like my Boo's fainting spells and how they relate to her hyperthyroid. The old vet put her on beta blockers but never bothered to explain. This one told me about hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in hyperT cats, and most importantly, that once the thyroid levels are corrected it is COMPLETELY REVERSABLE, which means she has probably had no business being on the beta blocker this long. And this vet did not mind talking about Boo even though it was during Gracie's appointment. |
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