She was doing really well, but this morning her head tilt and balance seemed to be a little worse than they were yesterday. I’m not sure why. I am stepping her down on her prednisone (she was to have the full dose for 3 days, then step down), but I’m wondering if she needed a few more days at the full dose?
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You are such a good cat mom!
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Could be. Maybe the inflammation hasn’t gone down enough to reduce the dose.
I hope she’s better tomorrow.
Jingles for Taffy and you!
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My Peach jumped off the counter, landed wrong and permanently damaged her back and spinal nerves. She’s on both gabapentin and prednisone at a high dose daily for the rest of her life to keep her walking (lurching) and comfortable. Both my vet and the pharmacist have confirmed that prednisone is much safer for cats than humans, and they can live happily and healthfully on high doses their whole lives if necessary.
So I’m not advising you to go against your vet, but keeping her on a high dose for a longer period wouldn’t be harmful!
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That is good to know! I was thinking about upping her dosage for a few more days, at least, so I think I will go ahead and do that.
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My pharmacist told me that he’s got at least half a dozen cat clients that have been on prednisone for years.
I made sure to talk to him first because I was worried about side effects. I’ve known too many people on prednisone that have had terrible side effects and was relieved to hear that it’s not an issue for cats, apparently.
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My vet told me something interesting as well—if Taffy’s getting the steroid once daily, apparently it’s better to give it in the morning because the interaction with the increased melatonin in her system left over from the night before makes the prednisone work better.
Peach had been getting her dose at supper, but I tried it out and I did see an improvement!
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Well, it’s safer for cats than for humans, but it can still cause problems in some cases. I had a cat with IBD who was on 1/2 tab of 5mg Pred (2.5 mg) every other day for years. When he was 17 he became diabetic from the 5 years of prednisone damaging his pancreas.
In this case, it’s still a short term use at this point. Check with the prescribing vet to see what dose they advise since the initial step down resulted in increased neuro signs. I bet they’ll advise re-upping it for a period before trying the taper again.
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Looking in on Miss Taffy ~ Jingles & AO !
She’s still doing well - spending her days in the bathroom (I’m terrified of her becoming the target of Itty Bitty, or getting under the bed and not being able to figure out how to get out again). She will always have some ataxia, I’m afraid, and that means I will probably not be able to let her become a barn cat again.
What I need to do is find a good indoor home for her and her brother Tuffy. Anyone? 
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Today, Taffy’s not quite as good - she didn’t eat much overnight, and didn’t eat her food this morning either (nibbled at it, but that’s all). Has refused the KMR the last two days as well, and won’t eat tonight, either. Her ataxia seems quite a bit worse, too. Thinking that if she doesn’t turn around later tonight, I will take her to the vet in the morning for a checkup.
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Jingles restarted for your girl Taffy ~ AO ~
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More jingles for Taffy! (and you are her caretaker!)
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Oh no! Jingles!!
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Poor Taffy! I hope she shows improvement by tomorrow.
Jingle, jingle, jingle
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So sorry to hear this. I hope she has a good night and feels better in the morning. 
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Quick update: she is still not eating canned, but will eat her favorite dry. I notice that when I rattle the dry in her bowl, she immediately wants to eat it, but almost acts as if she can’t smell the canned food. I wonder if she has lost her sense of smell in all of this?
At any rate, she now has free range of the house. I watch pretty closely, but she has a few hiding places, and no one has been mean to her so far. Yay, another indoor cat . . . 
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Hooray for Taffy !!!
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Another tabby for the indoor collection! 
I hope Itty Bitty isn’t mean to her.
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Miss Itty Bitty, BE NICE! You had better be on Sunday school behavior! You were Taffy not that long ago.
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