My cat has been having trouble with sore gums, her vet put her on prednisone, 1 tablet every other day, it helped with the pain, infact she had no pain, but she has ran out, and i called him to tell him, he wants to put her back on the pills, how dangerous are these?Is there anything else that can be done? She has been in pain, starting yesterday, she ran out of pills a week ago, Please help
2006-11-20 04:57:20 · 7 answers · asked by lilacangelgrammy 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
i did ask he said there was a chance of liver and kidney failure, i just don,t know what to do, she isn't sick, her gums are just sore, i know she needs something for pain, but i don't want to give her something that will kill her.
2006-11-20 05:12:30 · update #1
she has had her teeth cleaned and been on antibiotics.
2006-11-20 05:15:51 · update #2
Giving prednisone can damage a cat's immune system in the long term, depending on the individual cat and the dosage. But you have to consider your cat's quality of life. If her mouth is so painful she can't eat comfortably and can't enjoy herself, then giving her more time that's more painful isn't good. It's best to give the lowest dosage possible; start her back at one pill every other day, then try decreasing her to one pill every three days, then 1/2 pill every three days. One of my cats was on prednisone for a year due to skin problems, and we had her down to 2.5 mg twice weekly (and she's a 20-pound cat); I stopped the pred a month ago to see if her skin issue had resolved any, and it has improved, but still comes back when she's off the pred, so she may go back on it soon.
Discuss the potential side-effects of long-term pred usage with your vet. I've found that most vets cast off worries about long-term effects, whereas when you ask advice online you're more likely to find people who are into alternative therapies and who call pred evil. Take all opinions together and come to your own decision. Certainly it isn't the best, but if it helps the cat live a good quality of life when nothing else will, then it's a viable choice.
2006-11-20 05:07:55 · answer #1 · answered by adrienna1026 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Prednisone for Cats can be used to treat allergies, inflammations and autoimmune disease. Prednisone will reduce swelling, pain and redness that is associated with inflammation.
Why are her gums sore? Is it due to bad dental hygiene? If that's the case she may need to have a teeth cleaning to keep the gums from becoming infected (which sounds like what this is). Does your vet feel that because of her age she shouldn't be put under anesthesia for the dentistry? Then maybe he'll advise you to try brushing her teeth.
Sounds like he put her on the prednisone for the inflammation. Give him a call and let him know of your concerns. He may have her on the lowest doseage possible and since it would be given every other day, that possibily would have very low side effects.
If she's in a lot of pain, there is pain medication he can give also.
2006-11-20 05:12:24 · answer #2 · answered by BVC_asst 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Prednisone is a miracle drug with a multitude of nasty side effects. Long term small dose use (as prescribed by a doctor) can work wonders for healing. Your cat is 13 so I would just do what makes her comfortable. Just keep an eye on her appetite, drinking, poop and pee. If you notice any changes in them or blood then call the vet immediately. He will then either lower the dose or take her off it for a short time. Weight gain is a very common side effect and nothing to worry about (just don't change the amount of food you are feeding her and it should be fine). Good luck!!!
2006-11-20 05:10:23 · answer #3 · answered by Just Me 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I assume the vet prescribed prednisone for inflamation of the gums. Did he tell you what was causing the inflamation in the first place? Maybe you should take kitty back for further evaluation. Gum disease can cause pain and swelling. Check with him about having a teeth cleaning and antibiotics. Predinose is quite effective, but should not be taken over a long period of time. Best to treat the source of the problem.
2006-11-20 05:10:55 · answer #4 · answered by Murphyboy 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Long term use of steroids on animals causes liver problems. You and your Vet should come up with another solution. If the Vet insists on giving her the pills, take her for a consultation to another Vet or just get another one.
2006-11-20 05:34:08 · answer #5 · answered by Big Bear 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with adrienna - vets are quick to precribe steriods to solve "problems" and frequently they do have an effect. The vets do not know what side-effects or long-term damage can be done with the drugs however.
I have used a professional animal communicator for twelve years now. She has gotten herself trained in Chinese medicine and deals with a lot of animals with severe health problems. She feels strongly that long-term use of steroids can weaken the skeletal structure of animals (most reports are for dogs with her).
I am on the Yahoo group Holisticat and there have been recent postings there about gum problems and what people were doing to treat it in their cats. Joining is easy and I think you can just do a search there for "gum problems, or gingivitis" and come out with comments, successes, etc. with non-drug treatments for the problem. Or simply post about your cat's problem and you will get responses from people who have "been there, done that" without using the steroids.
Siobhan, the leader of the Senior Cat group, is a real gold mine of information about cats and there might be others there too who are dealing with gum problems.
2006-11-20 05:22:14 · answer #6 · answered by old cat lady 7 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Get the herb NEEM and put some in her food every day. Her gums will clear up. You can buy it at some health food stores or here------
2006-11-20 05:19:42 · answer #7 · answered by a_delphic_oracle 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I would be very, very careful with Neem.
http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/neemgen.html
2013-12-07 09:30:54 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
uh i don't know...maybe ask your vet these questions...geez
2006-11-20 05:05:16 · answer #9 · answered by steven p 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋