Could use a lot of help

[RBunch]

I am at a loss and hope someone can point me in the right direction. Molly is our miniature american Eskimo.  We brought her home when she was about 6 - 8 weeks...she is now a few months short of 2 years of age.  When we first brought her home she had very bad diarrhea.  Water consistency and sometimes with a little blood and mucus in it.  This went on for months and our vet tried different foods and nothing seemed to work until I found a particular grain free type food actually at our local grocery store.  It hasn't made it "normal" but better most of the time.  She would also sometimes throw up some.  Then about the time she was 3 months old she one day started screaming in pain and wouldn't walk.  She would do it only about a day and then it would go away.  We then it became something that would happen every couple weeks but again only lasted a day and the vet had no clue.  Then about at 6 -7 months of age she did it one day and it never went away.  She wouldn't use her back legs and would either hold them in the air or drag herself and cry and wouldn't allow anyone to pick her up.  The vet ran blood test, stool test, and did a scan and found nothing.  Finally as a last ditch effort they started her on prednisone.  With time we weaned her down to a small dose.  They have several times tried to find another medication to help her but nothing worked.  Now over the past 3 months we have been having to increase the dose and she seems to be not responding as well to the medication.  To add insult to injury she has been battling mange mites for a while now and even though we treat them its a losing battle since she is on the prednisone.  There are days she seems like she feels well and days where she seems miserable.  She now has been starting to have incontinence problems and I am besides myself.  I want to do what is best for her and don't know if I am doing her more harm or putting her threw unnecessary  pain.  The vet, and they have a team of them at our office, none of them seem to know what it is without doing tons of expensive test that will cost more than I have.  Please any help or suggestions would be appreciated.  She still has diarrhea on and off and her normal poops are pretty soft to say the least.  She seems to have more gas when shes not feeling well  but lays in bed and screams and has wild looking eyes. I am wondering through my research if its something like IBD....but that's simply a guess.  

[ginger899]

Intussusception of the bowel is one thing that could be investigated or ruled out.
more info. on that here:
https://www.acvs.org/small-animal/intussusception

Another thing is possible chronic enteritis...

[BluCrystal]

Geez, I do not know what this could be.  I worked for a vet 8 years, and never seen THAT.  I think you should just observe her - is she mostly happy or mostly miserable?  If she is mostly unhappy, consider that you may have to do the hardest and most loving thing you can do for her, euthanasia.  I'm sorry to say that.  But I do think it is important to think about.

[ginger899]

What scan did the vet do? An ultrasound, or MRI?

Is it definite that there is no evidence of disk problems? Was an X ray done? Or MRI of her spine?

Poor sweet girl. So young and having to bear so much pain on a regular basis ever since she was a tiny pup....
Screaming with pain is a huge deal for a dog. They usually bear chronic pain with a stoical approach, though when in pain may refuse to eat or be lethargic. But to scream in pain during these 'attacks' means the level of pain must be high.

I am not a qualified vet. I'd just like to make that clear. Only an ordinary person with some knowledge of dogs and a wish to be of help if possible, if and when I can. But I don't know what this could be.

Prednisone is for short term treatment only. It sound as if it is just putting a band-aid on the situation, because she is still getting these attacks, so that means it isn't anywhere near solved.
Obviously, a pain killing medicine would be a good idea to have as a stand-by to use during an attack. A liquid form would be best, if you can get that from the vet! - then it can be gently syringed into the side of her mouth, as when in great pain she will probably not be able to eat food with a pill in it.

I know there are a few vets on the team at your clinic, but another idea would be to take her for a second opinion??

IBS is a possibility, yes. But I have no idea how that would be diagnosed. But does that cause acute pain? I have no knowledge of what it's like to have IBS.

Developing mange is a horrible extra for her. But typical when the immune system is lowered.

Your poor girl. I felt like crying for her, and I WISH I had better suggestions!