Our Little Quincy Has Auto-immune Disease, Hurts So Much Options

[Aaron]

It was just a few years ago that I came here to lean on this community for support when we lost our car Reggie to hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease). It's with great sorrow that I have to return for support for another sick pet. Our sweet dog Quincy, a Maltese, came down with auto immune disease recently and we are trying to suppress the inflammation, but it is proving to be a difficult task so far. We are by no means giving up, but I feel like every day that passes that he does not improve means we are closer to losing him. Back in late December he had his regular annual exam and got his vaccines. We suspect that one of the vaccines triggered his immune system to go into over-drive, for lack of a better phrase. The vaccine was not the cause, as all vets we have spoken with say this is genetic and it takes just one trigger to bring this disease to the surface.

We initially tried steroids which helped some, but it did not completely suppress the inflammation. He slowly got worse so we got an MRI done which revealed considerable fluid on the right side of his brain. So they tried a large does of steroids (prednisone) which had an impact but then he seemed to get worse. So we went to the next treatment which is chemo since we are trying to suppress over-active cell activity. He was having seizures so he is on meds that make him considerably drowsy, so it's hard to tell if the chemo is having an impact since they cannot measure his neurological signs accurately. But the doctor is concerned the chemo might not be having an impact, which means we have fewer treatment options. They have told us that if the chemo does not have an effect, then his prognosis is "poor".

If you are reading this, then you know how difficult this can be. We are stressed both physically and mentally and it would devastate us to lose another pet after just 2.5 years. I can't even imagine how destroyed my wife will be of we lose him, but I am starting to prepare myself for that. I am just typing this to get it off my mind and my chest. We are staying positive and won't go out without trying every viable option. But every day is incredibly difficult.

Thank you in advance for your thoughts and prayers.

[Aaron]

Thank you moon beam, you are right. He has been on his current seizure med regimen for almost 3 weeks now and the only change has been to reduce his PB dosage. He is on 125 mg/day of K Br (after being on a loading dose), which is near the upper end of the recommended daily dosage of 20-40 mg/kg. It's hard to say if that is too high a K Br dosage for Quincy or not, but I will make it a point that this dosage needs to be reduced to see if it has any impact on his condition. Considering he is also on PB, it might be too much for him to handle. Like humans, animals' tolerance for drugs varies from animal to animal. And I don't even know how the Keppra factors in since side effects of that med are not well known, especially when used in conjunction with other meds.

I have to remind myself that he has been home for only since 4/1, so we need to let the new medication regimen do its job. I have to work extra hard to stay positive and not allow negative thoughts to enter my mind. I won't lie, I have thought numerous times about having to say goodbye and what life would be life afterward, but I simply cannot do that right now. I have to focus my energy on his recovery.

I have thought about making a spare room into a space for Quincy in the event nobody can watch him. We have such a room we could prepare for him. Currently we have converted our living room into such a space, but it would not be adequate for Quincy if he was alone since it's lined with pillows and dog beds, which he can potentially "break through". Someone will be watching him through at least next Friday, so we have time to prepare. Kristy and I will use all our vacation time to stay with him if we think it will help him progress. I know my in-laws and my parents will help as needed. I just don't want to give up on him until we have exhausted every possible angle. He is that important to us.