[Vinniedoggy]

Thanks, yes, this has been an extremely tough decision, but I cannot let this little guy suffer. I just talked with the allergist's office and we are going to try a longer course of prednisone, hopefully reducing it to a frequency that is therapeutically effective but does not result in any significant side effects (like every other third day). Our old dog who passed away this summer was on a maintenance dose of prednisone for 3+ years to treat a condition similar to Chrohn's disease in humans. He did not experience any side effects from taking prednisone and lived to 17+ years of age (very old for a non-neutered, 70 lb dog).

I am hoping, hoping, hoping that we only have to do this until next spring, at which point his allergy shots should kick in.