I have a canine prednisone question.?

Question

My vet has my dog on prednisone. I recently read that prednisone is an appetite stimulant. I was under the impression she was on it for the control of her white blood cell count, as she seems to have symptoms of canine lymphoma. Does anyone know? This dog is causing me so much stress I am taking xanax. Stop the insanity!
Thank You

Answer 1

Complete cure is rare with lymphoma, but long remission times are possible with chemotherapy. With effective protocols, average first remission times are 6 to 8 months. Second remissions are shorter and harder to accomplish. Average survival is 9 to 12 months. The most common treatment is a combination of cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisone, L-asparaginase, and doxorubicin.[1] Other chemotherapy drugs such as chlorambucil, lomustine (CCNU), cytosine arabinoside, and mitoxantrone are sometimes used in the treatment of lymphoma by themselves or in substitution for other drugs. In most cases, appropriate treatment protocols cause few side effects, but white blood cell counts must be monitored.

When cost is a factor, prednisone used alone can improve the symptoms dramatically, but it does not significantly affect the survival rate. The average survival times of dogs treated with prednisone and untreated dogs are both one to two months.[1] Using prednisone alone can cause the cancer to become resistant to other chemotherapy agents, so it should only be used if there is definitely no chance of further treatment.

Prednisone is a synthetic corticosteroid drug which is usually taken orally but can be delivered IM (intramuscular i.e an injection) and can be used for a large number of different conditions. It has a mainly glucocorticoid effect. Prednisone is a prodrug that is converted by the liver into prednisolone, which is the active drug and a steroid

Short-term side effects, as with all glucocorticoids, include high blood glucose levels, especially in patients who already have diabetes mellitus or are on other medications that increase blood glucose (such as tacrolimus), and mineralocorticoid effects such as fluid retention. Additional short-term side effects include insomnia and rarely mania. Long-term side effects include Cushing's syndrome, weight gain, osteoporosis, glaucoma, type II diabetes mellitus, and depression upon withdrawal.

Ocular side effects of glucocorticoids include glaucoma and cataract formation. While most commonly associated with topical or intraocular administration, these ocular complications may also occur with oral, intravenous, or even inhaled administration.


[edit] Major
depression, mania, or other psychiatric symptoms
unusual fatigue or weakness
blurred vision
abdominal pain
peptic ulcer
infections
painful hips or shoulders
osteoporosis
acne breakouts
insomnia

[edit] Minor
weight gain and stretch marks
facial swelling
nervousness
acne
rash
increased appetite
hyperactivity

Answer 2

My dog was on prednisone for years due to a spinal injury with subsequent arthritis. He did pick up a little weight, but in his case that was a good thing. If your dog doesn't need the extra weight, cutting back on the food will stop that. Prednisone has the side effect of stimulating appetite in both dogs and humans, but you control how much goes into the bowl so you can control how much the dog actually eats. Get her some rawhide chew bones to occupy herself with if she continually badgers you for food.

Try not to stress so much about the dog. You are seeing that she has good health care and that's the best thing you can do. I know that it's tough to deal with an animal with an illness, but some things are beyond our control and there is no point letting these things drive us to distraction. Do what's right for her and have a clean conscience and don't worry.

Answer 3

Prednisone Insomnia

Answer 4

The vet also gave my dog prednisone for allergies ( i did not administer) He was to take 1 1/2 pills per day which would have equalled 15mgs. The reason i did not give it to him is because awhile back my dermatologist also gave ME prednisone for a skin condition, I remember that he had said that short term low dosage is ok, but that it is not a good or safe drug to be on. My side effects were as follows: very little or no sleep, overeating, always hungry, very bad mood, everything pisses you off for no reason. I dont know what effects it will have on a dog, but i am not taking any chances!
Also, when people take it they have to be weaned off gradually, you cant just stop taking it
For example: first week i took 6 10mg pills a day, 2nd week, 5, & so on and so on until you are off.

Answer 5

If your dog is suspected of having lymphoma you need to have a biopsy done asap. The life span of a dog diagnosed with lymphoma w/o doing chemo is 3 months. Not trying to worry you but this is a fact. Predisone is always prescribed for lymphoma. It is a steriod that can provide some slowing of the cancer spreading. It also stimulates a dogs appetite and unfortunatley makes them urinate alot more frequently. I am very sorry to hear about your dog. When my dog was diagnosed with lymphoma we did chemo. He had no issues with the chemo at all but for being a bit more tired and he lived for a year and 1/2 longer then he would have without it.

Answer 6

Prednisone is a steroid that can lead to weight gain in humans (most likely through appetite stimulation but I haven't looked up the mechanism).

Search the internet and you'll find a ton of info.

Answer 7

Don't ever take the sleeping pills route!!

1. They will damage your liver big time and you can get into serious health problems.

2. You will get hooked up on them and you won't be able to have a normal life any more if you don't take your pills everyday.

The sleeping pills industry is damaging our health by capitalizing on our ignorance, and by distracting people from effective and natural ways to deal with this problem. I had been taking prescription sleep medications [Ambien] for over 5 years. It stopped working and I simply took more. Still did not work. Nights were very difficult - medication put me to sleep but I would wake up after 2–3 hours with a strong sympathetic response (fast pulse, pounding heartbeat, wide awake alert). It was a very difficult cycle to break. I was really in bad shape due to lack of sleep.

After years of struggling I was able to cure my insomnia naturally and pretty fast. I followed the Sleep Tracks sleep optimization program, here is their official web -site if you want to take a look: http://www.insomniacure.net

Ohhh..and Good Luck!

Answer 8

High blood levels of glucose can cause several problems, including frequent urination, excessive thirst, hunger, fatigue, weight loss, and blurry vision. However, because type 2 diabetes develops slowly, some people with high blood sugar experience no symptoms at all. How to treat diabetes naturally https://tr.im/m1P3q

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes:

Increased thirst
Increased urination
Weight loss in spite of increased appetite
Fatigue
Nausea
Vomiting

Patients with type 1 diabetes usually develop symptoms over a short period of time, and the condition is often diagnosed in an emergency setting.

Symptoms of type 2 diabetes:

Increased thirst
Increased urination
Increased appetite
Fatigue
Blurred vision
Slow-healing infections
Impotence in men



If you think you have diabetes i think you should have a checkup and speak with your doctor just in case.

Answer 9

Appetite Stimulant For Dogs

Answer 10

Prednisone can cause many side effects...weight gain,thirst,need for more frequent urination. It's often prescribed for pets with various illnesses. It does help many dogs with short term use but can cause major problems with long term use.