So Lucy has been herself for the past 4 or 5 days, since going
back on 10 mg/day of pred. She eats fairly well (roasted duck or raw
food mixed with Beechnut baby food), has completely normal bowels, runs
around like normal (in fact, brought in a half-dead mole a few hours
ago, which I tried to pick up but dropped when it bit me, and it died,
and it was horrible), and is not losing weight and may have gained an
ounce or two. So now, of course, I am wavering about whether to drive
her 1.5 hours each way to see an internist on Friday, where she would
probably have to stay several hours to get an ultrasound, etc. When I
made this last appointment, when she was sick, I swore I would take her
even if she got better, but now I really feel bad putting her through
so much stress when she is happy and feeling good.
Does it seem unlikely to you that she would be totally normal
within a few days on 10 mg/day of prednisone if she had developed
intestinal lymphoma? I know pred helps with lymphoma, but don't cats
with intestinal lymphoma usually not feel completely better until they
get leukeran? I haven't canceled yet, so would like some advice. My mom
is giving me major guilt trips about putting her through so much stress
(Lucy is one of those cats who is completely hysterical in the car and
terrified of all strangers, including vets) when I have her symptoms
totally under control. Besides checking for lymphoma (which is
notoriously hard to distinguish from IBD if there are no masses, and
which is harder to distinguish when the cat is on pred), I had wanted
to ask for budesonide or prednisolone instead of prednisone, neither of
which my local vet uses or will give to me (says if the pred is working
stick with it). In the past I was able to taper Lucy to very little
pred, though when I tried to do it last week, after one week on 10
mg/day, she immediately got worse (she was ok on 7.5, but not on 5). I
know that sometimes they need to be on it for weeks or months before
tapering, though, and that her IBD may simply have progressed. I also
know, though, if lymphoma does develop, that it is better to start the
leukeran earlier than later. But it also can have bad side efffects...
Gray gets home tomorrow, and I know he will tell me I am crazy
to take her while she seems fine on the pred.
Any advice would be appreciated. Nina, I know you probably hope
I take her so that I stop asking this question! :) But with the FeLV I
do worry about causing problems where there are none through
unnecessary stress, and it seems like 3 hours in the car and all day at
the vet with lots of tests would probably qualify as stress for Lucy.
If I do not take her, I will leave her on 10 mg/day of pred for another
week or so and then try to taper her again, much more slowly (maybe go
to 8.75, then 7.5, then 6.25, etc. every week).
Thanks,
Michelle
