Hello all,
I'm looking for some information about this dreadful disease, and hoping some of the wise ones here can help me out.
My in-laws have a 3 year old German Shepherd, and about a year and a half ago, he was diagnosed with Perianal Fistula. They've tried a variety of treatment options and have spoken to 3 different vets about it (2 here in Ontario, and 1 in South Carolina where they spend their winters).
They've been told that surgery options have a very low success rate. So right now, they're mainly treating it with a daily dose of prednisone, which seems to be working better than anything they've tried in the past. The problem is, the prednisone is making the dog gain a lot of weight.
He's up to 125lbs now. Granted, he's not a small-framed boy to begin with, but idealy, he should be around 105-110 for his bone structure.
They've recently cut back on the dosage of prednisone, and he still seems to be doing ok, so hopefully he can start to lose a little weight.
My question is, is there anything else that people have heard of that work in fighting this disease? Any alternate treatment methods?
The vet also told them to keep him on a food that is potato and duck based, and then they just add in a little bit of pumpkin puree with each meal to help regulate his stool.
Is there any other dietary suggestions that people have heard of to help?
Just hoping to hear some suggestions on how I can help my poor "brother-in-law"
Thanks!