Is there a special diet for a senior dog with Discoid Lupus?

For lupus, the typical treatment involves suppressing the immune system with steroids or other immunosuppressant drugs in addition to vitamins, antibiotics and topical therapy. It would be best to discuss further options with the diagnosing veterinarian or seek a specialists advice with a veterinary dermatologist for further recommendations on treatment. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions / concerns and I would be happy to help!

Hi and thanks for posting. Prednisone and Azathioprine are common immunosuppressive drugs given for this disease. If anterior uveitis is present, topical steroids may be administered as well. I hope this helps and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Omega 3 fatty acids for pets can help with heart health. Royal Canin makes a diet for dogs with heart disease. Lastly, it is not fully understood, but there appears to be a link between grain free dog food and heart enlargement. If you are feeding a grain free diet, you may talk with your veterinarian about a diet change. I hope this helps.

Great question! Most diets that are formulated for heart conditions are low in sodium, and thus prescription based. Lower sodium diets are not typically recommended for the "average" dog. Talk to your vet about the Science Diet H/D or Royal Canin Early Cardiac diets for Lulu.

Mya is adorable! These conditions can be tricky to manage together. Since I can see that she has lost the pigment on her nose and around her eyes, I'm assuming that she has been diagnosed with discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) rather than SLE. This condition can be managed with some topical medications and/or oral immunosuppressive medications. The issue with using some types of immunosuppressive medications is that it could cause flare ups of Mya's pancreatitis. Consider discussing medication options with her local vet or going to a specialist in veterinary internal medicine to start a medication regimen to keep Mya's issues under control. Until that time, be sure to avoid fatty foods, excessive treats or table scraps, as these diet changes could also cause a flare up of pancreatitis. I hope that all goes well!

Yes, some active disease processes can skew some of these results. We should never diagnose a dog as hypothyroid if there is another concurrent issue being treated. You can add an egg or two to Duke's normal dog food every day, but I wouldn't start adding a bunch of other things until we know if the anemia resolves itself.

Conventional treatment includes immunosuppressive drugs such as steroids. Dietary changes and antioxidant supplements may also be indicated. There are multiple autoimmune conditions in dogs and treatment usually depends on the specific condition as well as the severity of the condition.