Beware combining High Doses of Steroids alongside Antibiotics!

I will update this post as I get more specific information but I wanted everyone to be aware of something that happened -- so you can prevent this with your dog.

The owner of a pug from the Lemaitre litter (he is 5 now) contacted us recently because her life situation as a widow now, and with health issues of her own, prevented her from being able to give her pugs enough attention. We of course welcomed the pug back, along with his 'brother', another pug a year older they purchased from another breeder.

The Pickwick pug they owned had been healthy all 5 years of his life. The very next day after we were contacted, she noticed he was not feeling well. A vet she consulted then sent him to MS State University and he was admitted into the ER. He was in ICU for a time while they figured out what was wrong.

The final diagnosis was diabetes ketoacidocis and pancreatitis CAUSED BY THE COMBINATIONS OF STEROIDS AND ANTIBIOTICS (more specifics on this soon) prescribed by her vet in Florida for an ear infection. There is also possible liver damage.

The poor pug will now need to be on insulin for the rest of his life, according to the vets at the University along with some other meds. 

We will be getting welcoming him tomorrow and get him settled into his room (which will be our bedroom ... sorry Buttercup, you will have to go back into the main dog bedroom at night now!) This pug was such a sweetheart and I can still remember him as a neonate being scared in the whelping box by one of the robot toys I showed them. The girls and his other male sibling were like "whatever" but it started him. After the 7.5 week temperament tests, the evaluator/behaviorist we paid gave us "homework" with him and we took him everywhere -- the bank drive through, restaurants, church, etc. on solo trips to build his confidence before his "gotcha day" at 12 weeks.

We can't wait to see him, but we know we won't be able to afford to keep him forever so we will begin a search for a forever home who will be willing to monitor his condition. In the meantime, we will be doing a co-ownership with his owner who will be covering the medical expenses. We might also consult the holistic vet we have used on occasions as we have heard wonderful things about her success with diabetic dogs. Who knows? Maybe she will be able to offer a way to wean off the insulin?

For fun, here are a few photos of this sweet boy as a puppy, before gotcha day . . . .

He grew into such a handsome boy! The owner said he is a true lover boy and just wants to be by your side and cuddle all the time.

Here he is in his last training session before gotcha day:

Here he was just born!

Here he is during his 1st week of life!

And here he is 75 days old with his littermates!

Here he is on their first trip to Home Depot!

Here he is with all his aunts when he turned 7 weeks of age:

And here he is with his littermates going to church for the first time -- watching his dad play organ and conduct the choir.

And his first "barrier challenge" at 5 weeks of age!