Has anyone ever given their dog prednisone?

Question

My doggie's vet prescribed it for her allergys, I was discussing it at work and a women I work with insisted her dog died from the medication and my mother said one of her old dogs almost died after after recieving an injection of it. Mine was prescribed pills, and I haven't started her on it because she just had a steriod injection but now i'm scared. The vet insisted the only way it could have negative side effects is if it was taken for long periods time. So i'm just curious if anyone has had any experience with the medication. Thank you

Answer 1

Yes, I've used it a number of times on various dogs for various problems over the years. It's a nasty drug with nasty side effects. However, sometimes it's the only thing that helps a condition. I've used it with a dog that had mast cell cancer. It made her bloated, she was hungry all the time, she drank tons of water and then peed a lot. I also have it to a dog for allergies. The vet didn't look at her chart to see that she had a serious heart condition and she did almost die from the prednisone. Just like human doctors, some vets are great and some are terrible. And, for us, it's hard to know which until they screw up.
I would not give prednisone for allergies. There's lots of other things to try and if they are for allergies, the prednisone would have to be given long term. And long term, the med is harmful.
I've used Bendryl for allergies with dogs with success. Also, if it's maybe food related, change your dog's food to a different protein source. If you are giving chicken, try one that is fish or lamb or duck. Don't give a food with wheat or corn or soy as these are foods many dogs have allergies to.

Answer 2

Prednisone is a steroid drug given to control inflammation or allergies. Like any drug, it has main effects and side effects.

Common side effects for prednisone are drinking more water, eating more food, and urinating more often and urgently.

Yes, there are long-term side effects, but your dog shouldn't experience these on a brief course of prednisone.

It is common for your veterinarian to start the process with in injection, and then to follow up with pills. Usually, the dose is tapered so that you wean the dog off the medication.

Your veterinarian would not have prescribed the medication unless he or she felt it was necessary and safe. I'd go ahead and give it, exactly as the doctor directed.

Also, be sure you understand the underlying cause for her allergies (talk to your veterinarian about this). The more you know, the better you can help to prevent further outbreaks. If she's allergic to fleas, for example, keep her on Advantage or Frontline to prevent them. If she has contact allergies to, let's say, grass, make sure she stays off the grass. If she has food allergies, feed her the allergy-free diet your veterinarian recommends.

Sometimes, your veterinarian will recommend frequent bathing to help reduce contact allergies. Or, if the problem is serious and difficult to control, ask your veterinarian about a referral to a veterinary dermatologist.

I've taken prednisone for short periods of time -- and I'm very much alive, thank you!

Like me, she should be fine.

Answer 3

Not all dogs have this reaction. A man in my breed club recently just shared a story that both he and his twin brother became very "aggressive" on prednisone, but fortunately this is not a typical side effect for either dogs or humans. The only way to know is to try it. A worse side effect of prednisone is that it tends to depress the immune system. It's possible that this may also not be a concern in your dog's case since the pred is bringing your dog to "normal" steroid levels. In any event, not taking the pred will probably be worse than taking it. My old lab girl was on prednisone for several years before passing away at 15 1/2 last fall. She did show signs of immune deficiency toward the end (had demodex mange), but she wouldn't have lived that long without the pred, so the quality of life improvement made it worth it. There's no way to know for sure whether the pred will cause aggression in your dog, but it's most probable that it will not. Good luck with her.

Answer 4

We had a chihuahua named Honeybunch. She was born with hydrocephalus. She was prescribed lasix and prednisone. At first she had to take them every day but as we got the condition more under control she was cut back to about every other day and sometimes a couple of times a week, according to how she was doing. We lost her 1 1/2 yr ago due to the hydrocephalus and also I think from prolonged use of the pred. She lived almost 4 yr and she wasn't expected to see her four month birthday. I have a friend with a chihuahua that has allergies also and she takes pred every day and her dog is about 6 or 7 I think.

Answer 5

Before taking this medicine

You should not use this medication if you are allergic to prednisone, or if you have a fungal infection anywhere in your body.
Steroid medication can weaken your immune system, making it easier for you to get an infection or worsening an infection you already have or have recently had. Tell your doctor about any illness or infection you have had within the past several weeks.
To make sure prednisone is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:
- any illness that causes diarrhea;
- liver disease (such as cirrhosis);
- kidney disease;
- heart disease, high blood pressure, low levels of potassium in your blood;
- a thyroid disorder;
- diabetes;
- a history of malaria;
- tuberculosis;
- osteoporosis;
- glaucoma, cataracts, or herpes infection of the eyes;
- stomach ulcers, ulcerative colitis, or a history of stomach bleeding;
- a muscle disorder such as myasthenia gravis; or
- depression or mental illness.
Long-term use of steroids may lead to bone loss (osteoporosis), especially if you smoke, if you do not exercise, if you do not get enough vitamin D or calcium in your diet, or if you have a family history of osteoporosis. Talk with your doctor about your risk of osteoporosis.
Prednisone can cause low birth weight or birth defects if you take the medicine during your first trimester. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medication. Use effective birth control.
Prednisone can pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Steroids can affect growth in children. Talk with your doctor if you think your child is not growing at a normal rate while using this medicine.


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Answer 6

I've given my dogs pred for bad ear infections. Make sure you follow the instructions on dosage and administration exactly. A lot of times you need to 'wean' your dog off of pred little by little by decreasing the amount given for a sequence of days. That way your dog's body can adjust to producing cortisol again (a body's natural steroid). Do you know what is causing the allergies? Have you checked for food allergies and common household allergies (dust mites, fleas, soaps)? Have you already tried other remedies for the allergies and they didn't work? Have you tried plain old over the counter Benadryl (or the inexpensive Walgreens or WalMart equivalent)? That's what the Animal Emergency Hospital where my dog donates blood recommends.

Answer 7

I have used prednisone on my cavalier she has calcification of c2 and c3 in her spine (neck) which pinched a nerve in her shoulder. I fully discussed the downsides of using it and was told in some cases it can increase the chance of cushings and incontinence but if it was a short course and she was weaned of properly there should be no side effects. 1 year on she is a fairly healthy 11 1/2 year old girl with only a slight limp.

As long as you follow the set course of the drug and don't forget to give them you should be fine, but if you are worried seek advice from another vet or try homeopathic remedies.

Answer 8

There can be side effects, however if the medication is given exactly as prescribed by the vet and is not stopped abruptly instead of a gradual weaning process the side effects are minimal.
The exact dosage and exact directions MUST be followed to the letter.

Common side effects are increased appetite, increased water intake, increased urination,hair loss, moodiness, hyper activity.

If given long term kidney & liver function needs to be monitored closely and the risk of illness is increased due to suppression of immunity.

Answer 9

Prednisone is a steriod in itself and reduces immflammation and is also good for allergic reactions like hives. My dog has had it, my horses have had it and my 2 year old son takes it for asthma when it gets really bad. I wouldn't give it to my son if I thought it would harm him and I was told the same thing, it's only if taken for long periods of time that you get problems. I would feel comfortable giving it to any of the above for short periods at a time because it really does help.

Answer 10

My dog was given prednisone for a severe ear infection to help calm down the inflammation. The only side effect I noticed is she had to use the bathroom alot more.