Is Atopica recommended for my Labrador with IBD and elevated EOS?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Blood can definitely be seen with cases of IBD. For IBD, immunosuppression is typically the treatment of choice in severe cases. Azathioprine is an immunosuppressant drug that is commonly used along with changing the diet to something such as Royal Canin Ultamino. I would discuss this with your veterinarian for starting something such as Azathioprine in place of steroids to see if this helps more. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than willing to help you further. I would also recommend adding in a probiotic such as Purina Fortiflora, which can be purchased online or at your local pet store quite easily.

Hello, and thanks for your question about Mya. Allergies are very common in dogs, and they can be frustrating to control! I recommend asking your vet about Cytopoint, which is a monthly injection, and Apoquel, which is a daily pill. These are very effective non-steroid allergy medications that can either be given individually or (in more severe cases) together. For young dogs like Mya, I usually prefer the cytopoint injections, and then add Apoquel if necessary. If the a strict feeding trial with the Royal Canin Ultramino diet didn't help, then her allergies are less likely to be related to food, and are more likely environmental. Of course, also make sure she's kept current on a high quality flea/tick preventative, to make sure an external parasite can't be complicating things! And if a skin scrape has never been done, that may be advised as well - I've had skin mites get misdiagnosed as allergies before! If it comes to it, I've certainly had patients who did best on steroids - and that can be done pretty safely if you're weaning to the lowest effective every-other-day dose. Hopefully this helps! Of course, I'd defer on all points to a vet who has seen Mya in person!

If he has pustules then he may need to be on an antibiotic again to treat an infection. Atopica can cause side effects in some dogs and if you dog is experiencing negative side effects then you could talk to your vet about switching to a new allergy medication called Apoquel. I have used it on may dogs and it seems to work very well with minimal side effects.

I'm so sorry that you are dealing with this with Cosita. Thank you for including a picture. She is adorable. I am attaching a link below to a handout on IBD. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=598 The end of that handout specifically addresses your concern. The problem with doing steroids is that it decreases the inflammation in the intestines and will likely make Cosita feel better, but if her disease is due to cancer (lymphoma), putting her on prednisone will make it harder to diagnose and treat her cancer later. "Lymphoma is temporarily responsive to prednisone but better responses can be obtained from stronger chemotherapy agents. Exposure to prednisone will make the lymphoma much more difficult to diagnose should biopsies be obtained later. Plus, exposure to prednisone can lead to resistance to other medications. (This is less of a problem for cats, but in dogs even a few days of prednisone can make a lasting remission impossible to achieve.)" There is nothing wrong with starting her on steroids, but you have to understand that it will limit your treatment and diagnostic options in the future if the steroids do not help. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answers your questions. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Be. If you are being mocked by your veterinarian, then I suggest finding another veterinarian with whom you can have a better relationship. That is a terrible eay to feel! Apoquel and Cytopoint are two newer veterinary drugs that can help to mange seasonal allergies if that is the case. They control itching and can potentially help with ear infections. Diet should be evaluated as well as this can contribute to chronic ear infections. I hope this information helps!

HI, sorry to hear you're having a problem with Coal. In my experience, usually dogs are allergic to a type of grain or meat, not milk. But if that's the case, there may be something else he is allergic to that you have not tested for yet. I would put him on a special prescription diet for dogs with allergies. Also, ask your vet about medication to use when he is having flare up. Steroids can be helpful for this, but they need to be prescribed by a vet. there is another medication called Apoquel which may be available to you that is a great help. Good luck, i hope this helps!

You definitely seem to have done plenty of research for Zise. Well, nobody likes putting their pets or themselves on corticosteroids. As you already know, there is a long list of side effects and they can sometimes outweigh the benefits of the drugs. In this case, if IBD has been diagnosed definitively, prednisone is typically the best course of action (in combination with dietary change to a low fat, high quality protein formulation). One of the theories behind using corticosteroids in the treatment of IBD isn't only to reduce inflammation. Many researchers believe there is an autoimmune component to the disease process. Prednisone is an immunosuppressive drug, and will therefore help with this condition. I would suggest following the advise of your vet for now and seeing how things go. You can always take Zise off the drug if you feel the benefits are not outweighing the side effects. Often times, some cats will not experience any sides effect and simply benefit from the drug's effects. In terms of stem cell therapy, I don't know much about this as a treatment option for IBD. Regenerative medicine is fantastic and I have seen it work miracles on many orthopedic patients. I am sure there is definitely a way to make if work for IBD patients as well, but you would have to speak with a person who specializes in this area to find out the details. I wish the best for you and Zise. Let me know if you require any more consultation on IBD and how to manage the disease.