Prednisone...reservations

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by Theodore

Hi, Dwerten. Where do you live? Looking for a new vet for Ted. Right now he's being seen at the Animal Specialty Group in glendale for his present condition but they are for specialty purposes only. Nervous to call them right now cause I know they're probably going to tell me to try him on these steroids first...though they have been so great throughout this whole ordeal. Your little ones are so cute. They must keep you so busy. Just dealing with this one incident with Ted has me worn to the bone. Anyway, nice to meet you. Nice to have a local to look to for advice. luv corrinne

Living in the Santa Clarita Vally.

Here's a couple of vets

Dr. Warrne Gardner DVM
17755 W. Sierra Hwy Santa Clarita - 771-252-3333

Saugus Animal Hospital
27737 Bouquet Canyon Rd
Saugus

Animal Medical Center
25848 McBean Pkwy
(This one I think practices Holistic Med - Dr. Vega.

Santa Clarita
662-255-5555

[dwerten]

also wanted to add i know that fear as when dex was so sick in hospital ims told me they could not get his vomitting to stop so her last resort was steroids and that could trigger the pancreas again as it had calmed down and i said to her if this was your dog what would you do? She then said sulcrulfate for 24 hrs and see if this stops it and we will go with steroids if not. I think sometimes you have to state that questions and then they put it in perspective as if it was there dog and if you trust them as i trust this ims very much then i went with it. Trust is very key. I would say treat him as if he is your own and they did so maybe ask that question and see the response.

[Mardelin]

I understand one's concern with steroids, especially on long term use. Not recommended and any good vet would monitor. But, if it is necessary to control a situation, then vet recommendations and med advice should be taken. Each dog and each situation is different. Let me add the vets I've encountered are very reluctant to administer steroids, knowing the ramifications only prescribe in small doses and for short periods of time.

[mojo]

My girl, Bella, has been on Pred for several years since being diagnosed with addisons disease. She gets 5 mg (liquid) every other day. For the most part, she has done very well. She does urinate more frequently and has put on a little bit of weight in her belly.
Over the past 6 months, she has had episodes where she has had severe vomitting and diarrea. On call vet diagnosed her with pancreatitis. She wasn't getting better, I thought I had to put her down. Her regular vet then said no, not pancreatitis, food allergy and put her on a hypo-allergenic food. I was very skeptical of that, but she has been on it 3 months now, only one minor episode of vomitting.
Prednisone is a highly effective medicine, but can have side effects. I think it's worth a try, just monitor your dog closely.

[Theodore]

Thank you, Everyone. I called back and voiced my concerns, and she said because of the increase in his reverse sneezing since the surgery that they want to control the infammation while he is healing. So I will follow their instructions. 5mg a day for two weeks; then I am to call back and tell them how he's doing and they will lower it if he's doing better (which he has not had one episode in last few days) and bring him back in in three weeks to re-check him and go from there.
I have been cutting in half and giving half with each meal. Now I'm wondering if i should give the whole pill at once since bottle says 1 pill a day. If it hadn't been for you guys and this site, I would be clueless to effects of steroids and not even have known that they need to be reduced slowly when coming off of them (since bottle came with no instructions and no one mentioned that to me). I asked about alternatives, and she said because his case was so severe and the mass most likely was caused by inflammation they want to take no chances of his nose becoming inflammed again so soon after mass removed.
Anyway, I appreciate you all for easing my fears and providing me with knowledge to present to specialist. Now if I only had a cure for all this PEEING going on. I can't keep up with it. But I'd rather chase him around with a towel than ever see him struggle to breathe again. luv corrinne

p.s. thanx for vet referals!

[ladyjane]

Happy to hear that you have it all clear now. I am quite sure it is fine to split the pill and give it in two doses!

Hope he continues to do well.

I so understand the peeing thing....my Georgie flooded my master closet the other day after his pred injection. BUT...he is better now so it was worth it.

[Theodore]

Thanx, Lady Jane. Isn't it amazing just HOW MUCH pee comes out of such little bodies?? Hope your Georgia will be back to his old self soon. xo

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by Theodore

Thanx, Lady Jane. Isn't it amazing just HOW MUCH pee comes out of such little bodies?? Hope your Georgia will be back to his old self soon. xo

Yes, it really IS amazing! He is housebroken so for him to do it, poor thing had to have been desperate. He loves to go in my closet and sleep....must have awakened and barked and I did not hear him because it was close to the door. It was a LOT. hah

Thanks...he will be ok. He has allergies and had gotten out of control and also had a staph infection....then, he had to have two growths removed during his dental. All on his head...poor baby looks like a Frank now, instead of a George. Busy week for him.

[dwerten]

Originally Posted by mojo

My girl, Bella, has been on Pred for several years since being diagnosed with addisons disease. She gets 5 mg (liquid) every other day. For the most part, she has done very well. She does urinate more frequently and has put on a little bit of weight in her belly.
Over the past 6 months, she has had episodes where she has had severe vomitting and diarrea. On call vet diagnosed her with pancreatitis. She wasn't getting better, I thought I had to put her down. Her regular vet then said no, not pancreatitis, food allergy and put her on a hypo-allergenic food. I was very skeptical of that, but she has been on it 3 months now, only one minor episode of vomitting.
Prednisone is a highly effective medicine, but can have side effects. I think it's worth a try, just monitor your dog closely.

yes pancreatitis is a side effect of this drug and why i have cpli run on dd when i do her blood work since she is on steroids as well as my pancreatitis dog i have it run on him too just to make sure pancreas is functioning ok.

Another issue that can happen with steroid use is it can mess with the lining of stomach which could be happening with your baby and causing stomach upset

BUT your baby has no choice as addisons mean they do not have normal adrenal function and they need the pred to survive. Are you seeing a specialist with this condition?

Some vets believe in using famotidine (pepcid ac) with dogs on steroids to help with acid in the stomach. I do not use it with dd as her doseage is very mild but it has been recommended to me

are you giving the steroids mid meal meaning give 1/2 meal then steroid then 1/2 meal to mix real well with food to help not mess up intestines as that is real critical to not give nsaids or steroids on empty stomach.

my girl took prednisone and she had the pot belly as well and cumidomes brown spots on tummy and loss of hair so we put her on temarilp and no side effects but with addisons you have to be on a higher dose but you could also discuss with your vet or specialist prednisolone vs prednisone and get his take on all of that as prednisolone is easier to digest and easier on the liver - does your dog have a normal functioning liver?

[dwerten]

Originally Posted by Theodore

Thank you, Everyone. I called back and voiced my concerns, and she said because of the increase in his reverse sneezing since the surgery that they want to control the infammation while he is healing. So I will follow their instructions. 5mg a day for two weeks; then I am to call back and tell them how he's doing and they will lower it if he's doing better (which he has not had one episode in last few days) and bring him back in in three weeks to re-check him and go from there.
I have been cutting in half and giving half with each meal. Now I'm wondering if i should give the whole pill at once since bottle says 1 pill a day. If it hadn't been for you guys and this site, I would be clueless to effects of steroids and not even have known that they need to be reduced slowly when coming off of them (since bottle came with no instructions and no one mentioned that to me). I asked about alternatives, and she said because his case was so severe and the mass most likely was caused by inflammation they want to take no chances of his nose becoming inflammed again so soon after mass removed.
Anyway, I appreciate you all for easing my fears and providing me with knowledge to present to specialist. Now if I only had a cure for all this PEEING going on. I can't keep up with it. But I'd rather chase him around with a towel than ever see him struggle to breathe again. luv corrinne

p.s. thanx for vet referals!

might be best to do washable pee pads that is what we do so he can pee when he wants since on steroids then he does not hold it and cause uti or something else that is what i do also due to coyotes, hawks and owls where i live

I am glad you feel better as that is important that you understand why they are doing something and sounds completely understandable to me why they are doing that. You could do either way 1/2 2xs a day or whole but call the specialist back and ask that question to make sure so you feel comfortable in dosing him right.

Sometimes they are so quick at doing things they fail to explain thoroughly or we are in shock lol of what is going on and do not think clearly so i always ask them to type up instructions for me so it is done properly - our dermatologist does this for all her clients so does dentist and ims so it is pretty standard among specialists to type up instructions. With meds I have learned to ask alot of questions before giving to make sure i do it right as no one ever told me to do steroids with food and i had a vet give my dog nsaids on an empty stomach which is a huge no no also and why i like these forums as we can learn from other pet owners as well

[dwerten]

sometimes on steroids they will pee when they sleep as the urine builds up too much and it leaks out when sleeping is what i was told by specialist when dd did this one time in her sleep i worried and called them. They said it does not happen alot but definitely can so maybe when shot was given possible he peed when sleeping and never barked

[mojo]

Originally Posted by dwerten

yes pancreatitis is a side effect of this drug and why i have cpli run on dd when i do her blood work since she is on steroids as well as my pancreatitis dog i have it run on him too just to make sure pancreas is functioning ok.

Another issue that can happen with steroid use is it can mess with the lining of stomach which could be happening with your baby and causing stomach upset

BUT your baby has no choice as addisons mean they do not have normal adrenal function and they need the pred to survive. Are you seeing a specialist with this condition?

Some vets believe in using famotidine (pepcid ac) with dogs on steroids to help with acid in the stomach. I do not use it with dd as her doseage is very mild but it has been recommended to me

are you giving the steroids mid meal meaning give 1/2 meal then steroid then 1/2 meal to mix real well with food to help not mess up intestines as that is real critical to not give nsaids or steroids on empty stomach.

my girl took prednisone and she had the pot belly as well and cumidomes brown spots on tummy and loss of hair so we put her on temarilp and no side effects but with addisons you have to be on a higher dose but you could also discuss with your vet or specialist prednisolone vs prednisone and get his take on all of that as prednisolone is easier to digest and easier on the liver - does your dog have a normal functioning liver?

I'm not even giving the steriods with food at all! Thank you so much, it never even occurred to me until I read that. We go to a vet hospital in the area, there is no specialist, but I will tell you I love her vet, he is very knowledgable. Problems arise when she gets sick and I have to take her in right away and see another vet because mine's not available.
Her liver is fine, but due to recent testing and a recent x-ray because the on-call vet insisted she was sick from getting into something (doesn't know me at all, that would never happen) we found out she does have an enlarged heart. But since the change in food,, she is doing quite well.

*Sorry for hijacking the thread. Thanks for the info.

[dwerten]

Originally Posted by mojo

I'm not even giving the steriods with food at all! Thank you so much, it never even occurred to me until I read that. We go to a vet hospital in the area, there is no specialist, but I will tell you I love her vet, he is very knowledgable. Problems arise when she gets sick and I have to take her in right away and see another vet because mine's not available.
Her liver is fine, but due to recent testing and a recent x-ray because the on-call vet insisted she was sick from getting into something (doesn't know me at all, that would never happen) we found out she does have an enlarged heart. But since the change in food,, she is doing quite well.

*Sorry for hijacking the thread. Thanks for the info.

yikes please give with food from now on i do 1/2 meal pill then 1/2 meal every time i give dd temarilp

[Guccigirl]

I have a male yorkie he was 14 lbs. He is currently in the hospital. He was diagnosed with Lymphangiectasia. It is predisposed with yorkies. Cocoa started with sporatic vomiting about every week or so. I noticed his belly getting fat and cut back on his food. That was 6 months ago. I took him to the hospital sunday night because his belly was 22 inches. He was so bloated. I had several blood tests done in the previous 2 weeks by my vet and we suspected this disease because he had all the symptoms. He had diarrhea for the last two weeks. Yesterday morning they drained 1 1/2 litres of fluid from his belly. That weighed 3 lbs. I don't know yet if my Cocoa is going to make it but my faith is strong and am relying on my faith to bring my baby home. The meds they are giving him is prednisone

[Theodore]

I hope Cocoa feels better soon. It is so scary when they find something wrong with your little one; yet the good thing is they can now treat him and he will be on the mend with their treatment and your love. When they put Ted on prednisone, they gave me no instructions other than one a day; so ask a lot of questions...like should he eat with them, what side effects can I expect, will they be reducing the dose over time, will they monitor his bloodwork. Everything will be okay. xo