Loki Update

Since Loki has been ill we've kept his weight down, but I must admit with what he's been eating I kind of thought he'd have put some back on. Don't get me wrong he's not too thin, but he is a little leaner than I'd like, still with his affected mobility maybe it's better. Since he cast his last coat he hasn't really had that good thick coat either, but I am aware that large doses of steroids can mess with such things. Last night I noticed a dip in Loki's temples, I mentioned it to Steve, but he said he hadn't really noticed. This morning I could still see it and I made Steve look in daylight .. he agreed that Loki temples are a little sunken. (As Tali's went in old age) I know that steroids often have side effects, dogs eat and drink more and also put weight on, but I wasn't sure about weight loss ... but then a very large penny dropped. When Kiri had MMM she was on a large dose of steroids, actually 60mg a day, which was gradually cut down over 6 months. When she lost weight and muscle mass my vet contacted a specialist and Kiri dose was halved to 30mg, he said the steroids not the condition was causing the weight and muscle loss.  Anyway, I decided to google and it confirmed my memory was not dwindling, large doses of steroids can cause weight loss.

"In addition to the aforementioned, there is an increased risk for developing diabetes with cortisone treatment. Dogs that are kept on a low maintenance dose of cortisone tend to gain weight more easily as their appetite is stimulated. Contrarily, a dog may lose weight in the beginning of treatment if it is put on a high dose of cortisone. The immune response may be affected, resulting in a heightened risk for infection. The skin can thin, particularly over the abdominal region. Muscle mass loss can also occur over the abdomen giving the dog a pot-bellied appearance. Some dogs get hyperactive, while others become more quiet than usual. Typically the “normal” personality of the dog is accentuated, so if you have a calm dog to begin with it becomes calmer with cortisone treatment."

Interesting read .. and now we know why he's a little hyper too!  So many side effects, yeah it's a worry but his day to day quality of life is of greater concern than what lies ahead. We feel we are lucky to have Loki with us let alone to see him doing so well. 

You'll see that in many photos, including todays, that Loki is lying down. Whilst he can walk very well and even run I think he finds standing still a little difficult and he tends to sink into the down. As long as he's comfortable, then who cares?