Our 100-year old dog, Tinker, is feeling better after a steroid sandwich every morning. Over the past year, we’ve tried a number of medications to ease the discomfort of arthritis. As in her feet. As a much younger 66, I can certainly relate to the aches and pains every morning and the need for regular doses of Aspirin. Tinker would resist each time I tried to take her outside to do her business, but with the title of “The Poopingest Pup on the Planet” she would eventually slowly limp down the driveway and sidewalks to a grassy spot. This had escalated to the point where we’ve had to leave her behind on some of our long weekend walks. Watching her awkward movements was as if every step was like walking on hot coals. We tried mild doses of pain relievers and even CBD oil until we finally decided to use Prednisone, an oral corticosteroid used to suppress inflammation. We’d been debating about using it for some time, but were concerned about side-effects. (See Schnauzer on Steroids Post #67). What happens to the “Poopingest Pup on the Planet,” when her urges are more frequent and deposits larger? Do we have enough Spot Shot in the house to clean any soiled spots on the carpeting? Fortunately, most of our floors are wood or tile.

My wife’s long-time, Chow companion, Belle, had temporary problems with an uncontrollable bladder when she first tried Prednisone. She would drink excessive amounts of water and have to go out in the middle of the night. I did not want to repeat this experience with Tinker. Our first step for Tinker’s discomfort was Cortisone that proved to be successful temporarily. After an injection of this “wonder drug,” she was bounding up steps again, but it never lasted for more than a week. Additional injections were unfortunately less effective. I prefer injections with Tinker because she fights off any attempt to take pills. Between her allergies, infections, and pain medication, we were forcing pills down her throat regularly. At first, I tried to hide them in her food, but she would spit them out and eventually stopped eating – a major sacrifice considering her voracious appetite.

To solve this pill ingesting dilemma we tried Pill Pockets, hiding them in turkey slices, and covering them with honey or peanut butter. Just when you thought you had solved the problem, a rejected pill would show up on the floor. It was frustrating for both of us, until we discovered her love of Tillamook cheese. My wife was buying these snack packets to put in the lunch she packs every morning. They are 1/4″ thick slices that are soft enough to allow you to press a pill in the surface and then fold it over like a sandwich. The pill will not fall out and is cleverly concealed enough that even a dog this smart has not figured out its hidden secret. The cheese must also disguise the bitter flavor of the pill because she gobbles down this “steroid sandwich” every morning without hesitation. The other half of the cheese goes to her Schnauzer sister, Tally, so they both get an extra treat as my wife heads out to work with her cheese snack.

After her first week on Prednisone, Tinker seems to be smiling again.  Say Cheese…. Hopefully, she’ll join us tomorrow for a long walk. The medication also seems to have relieved some of her incessant itching that we treat with another drug called Apoquel. Apparently, you can’t mix the two. Apoquel is very expensive, so it would be great if the steroid works for both, but that might be too good to be true. Pet.Vet.Debt. Tinker does seem to be panting a bit more, drinking more water, and seeks a grassy spot with more urgency when I take her out, but thankfully sleeps soundly overnight. She still needs help getting up on the couch, in the car, and into our bed, so no miracles of returning to puppy-hood have occurred so far. However, with a few more cheesy “steroid sandwiches” maybe we’ll get a glimpse of her good old days.