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dwerten · 05-25-2010, 08:11 PM

Prednisone alone or in combination therapy causes many adverse effects. When these adverse effects are severe they may require the prednisone dose to be reduced prematurely or even stopped entirely and another immune suppressive drug used in its place or combined with a reduced prednisone dose. The adverse effects that can occur are:

1. Severe polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia and panting
2. Urinating in the house or urinary incontinence and weight gain
3. Colitis type diarrhea, vomiting and anorexia
4. Gastrointestinal (especially colonic) ulceration/perforation
5. Life threatening steroid hepatopathy
6. Urinary tract and skin infections and other infections
7. Severe mental depression and lethargy
8. Hyperexcitable, energetic, aggressive
9. Muscle atrophy and weakness
10. Endocrine alopecia
11. Hypertension
12. Calcinosis Cutis

Some of the more common side effects listed above can be prevented by some simple instructions to the owner. If the dog has normal renal function, the owner should limit the dog's water consumption to 20 ccs/pound of body weight divided three times a day. This will prevent the excess drinking that causes the dog to urinate in the house and be urinary incontinent. If the dog does start urinating in the house despite this, the dog's urine should be cultured using a cystocentesis urine sample to be sure a urinary tract infection has not developed. The dog should not be fed more than the amount of food he was fed before prednisone therapy. That should be no more than 20 calories of food per pound per day. Feeding a high fiber, low fat food, such as canine or feline RD or feline WD, prevents weight gain and prevents the steroid induced colitis diarrhea that is very common unless this diet is used. The dog should have a 12 hour fasted serum chemistry profile collected in all cases 10 to 14 days after this prednisone schedule is started. If the serum bilirubin is elevated above the normal range the prednisone dose should be immediately reduced to 0.5 mg/lb once a day and the steroid hepatopathy should gradually start to resolve. In those cases in which the dog becomes severely mentally depressed on prednisone or has severe muscle weakness or an intolerable personality change prednisone may have to be discontinued permanently or the dose drastically reduced and other immune suppressive drugs considered.

05-25-2010, 08:11 PM	#76
dwerten BANNED! Join Date: May 2007 Location: USA Posts: 11,073	Prednisone alone or in combination therapy causes many adverse effects. When these adverse effects are severe they may require the prednisone dose to be reduced prematurely or even stopped entirely and another immune suppressive drug used in its place or combined with a reduced prednisone dose. The adverse effects that can occur are: 1. Severe polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia and panting 2. Urinating in the house or urinary incontinence and weight gain 3. Colitis type diarrhea, vomiting and anorexia 4. Gastrointestinal (especially colonic) ulceration/perforation 5. Life threatening steroid hepatopathy 6. Urinary tract and skin infections and other infections 7. Severe mental depression and lethargy 8. Hyperexcitable, energetic, aggressive 9. Muscle atrophy and weakness 10. Endocrine alopecia 11. Hypertension 12. Calcinosis Cutis Some of the more common side effects listed above can be prevented by some simple instructions to the owner. If the dog has normal renal function, the owner should limit the dog's water consumption to 20 ccs/pound of body weight divided three times a day. This will prevent the excess drinking that causes the dog to urinate in the house and be urinary incontinent. If the dog does start urinating in the house despite this, the dog's urine should be cultured using a cystocentesis urine sample to be sure a urinary tract infection has not developed. The dog should not be fed more than the amount of food he was fed before prednisone therapy. That should be no more than 20 calories of food per pound per day. Feeding a high fiber, low fat food, such as canine or feline RD or feline WD, prevents weight gain and prevents the steroid induced colitis diarrhea that is very common unless this diet is used. The dog should have a 12 hour fasted serum chemistry profile collected in all cases 10 to 14 days after this prednisone schedule is started. If the serum bilirubin is elevated above the normal range the prednisone dose should be immediately reduced to 0.5 mg/lb once a day and the steroid hepatopathy should gradually start to resolve. In those cases in which the dog becomes severely mentally depressed on prednisone or has severe muscle weakness or an intolerable personality change prednisone may have to be discontinued permanently or the dose drastically reduced and other immune suppressive drugs considered.