I have a dog that was diagnosed with IBD, switched to a prescription diet and told to be on a maintaince dose of pred for life, as well. One thing my holistic / traditional vet did was prescribe some herbal supplements to counterbalance the side effects of the steroid. I don't remember what they were but you might ask about that.
You might also ask about Tylan. I was given this yellow powder to give to my dog if she ever had a flare up. I'm told it tastes absolutely awful and that I would have a hard time getting it in my dog. Well, My dog is a very competitive girl, and if my other dog was getting a food treat, she would eat whatever I put in front of her, just so long as the OTHER one didn't get it.
So in my case, an 1/8 teaspon of Tylan powder hidden in canned dog food cleared the problem right up. It is supposed to reduce inflamation of the colon, which is not necessarily the same thing Echo is having trouble with, but I thought I would mention it – you can do your research and ask.
Btw, I did eventually get my dog off of the pred, so perhaps her case wasn't as bad as Echo's.

Agree, let them work it out. By they way, after a while the older one will do the same to the younger (to steal the warm spot on the couch, for example).

@JazzysMom:

I'm sorry…I've never heard that before and it just gave me SUCH a visual

Completely understandable! Maybe someone with first hand experience will chime in with a funny story.

That's exactly what it is, always startles me too every time. No reason to be concerned, altho I don't recall how long it lasts … a few weeks?

There is a vendor at the shows in the Bay area that sells them, I only visit occasionally so I can't think of the name, but I bought one last fall at the Del Valle shows. That's easist, 'cause you can try them on. Many are adjustable tho, so even buying on line should be fine.

oooo, I'm not sure, but I think 4 1/2 months is too soon to say that the testicle will stay undecended. I'd get a bunch of opinions on that, including from your or another experienced breeder.

A lot of people don't realize that B's carry their testicles a little differently than other dogs, and sometimes even judges at shows have trouble finding them because a scared B will pull them up /in.

Andrea is pointing out one of the greatest debates I've seen on lists for the last 10 yrs: which is worse, risk of collar related injury or risk of getting loose without ID? I think this comes down to a personal decision based on a personal situation.
I think the question here is what kind of collar to wear on a walk, and I like the martingale. 14" for young adult, as I recall. My females are wearing 14"-16" diameter collars now. Have fun shopping!

We used to feed the squirrels in the back yard to encourage our fanconi affected boy to go out through the doggie door more often (and he'd potty while out there), so they can be helpful!

Here's another photo of a martingale type collar and a description of why they work well
http://www.arcatapet.com/item.cfm?cat=12781
(small brag, the model dog is one that I raised and placed - proud grandma!)

I prefer martingles because they do tighten like a choke when the dog pulls so they can't back out, but they don't have the "choking" effect of a chain.

Lots of people like harnesses too, and they are certainly secure, but I wonder / worry if they teach the dog to pull. So many people complain to me that they wish their basenji didn't pull.

I personally use a really wide 2" martingale collar that is padded for every day / out for a walk. I use a buckle collar for obed / rally training, because I don't want to be tempted to use the collar as a training tool. My friend makes my collars for me, but if you search the net for "hound collars" you might find something.

Kudos to you for testing your dog, that is so important and I'm guilty of not doing it enough. I will test mine tonight, inspired by your reminder.
Catching it early is a good thing, and many dogs do really well on the protocol for many many years.