[Susan]

Has anyone used prednisolone, (Steriod).. Im sooo against this drug & for 8months I’ve been saying no about giving Patch Presdnislone, Patch had an Ultra Scan today as he’s been very ill again all week with vomiting up his kibble un-digested, Ultra Scan came back all good for Pancreas, Gallblader etc. Vet said that its his Irritable Bowel Disease thats causing all his stomach problems & wants him on Prednisolone 5mg tablets, 3 tablets in the morning & 3 at night, then in 2 weeks we see vet again to reduce the dose… I dont understand how can the Prednisolone help his stomach acid, vomiting & burping, Ive googled the drug & its side effect it can cause pancreatitis & stomach ulcers, He doesnt have diarrhea, I told the vet that he hasnt had diarrhea since December when he tried a new a grainfree kibble with potatos…I got the prednisolone but havnt given Patch any yet..I just cant understand how this drug is going to help his stomach problems, maybe I dont understand IBD properly has anyone used this drug & was it for IBD??… I asked a pharmacist today & he said as long as he’s not on it more then 1 month he should be OK…I looked up doses & it says 1mg per kilo & Patch has lost more weight now he’s only 16.90 kilos now, he once was 18-19kilos I know the Prednisolone helps gains weight but thats cause it makes dogs thirsty & hungry..any advice…so far Ive has Patch drug free, just a stricted low fat diet..

[theBCnut]

Pred will help with the inflamation in the intestines. I hate the stuff myself, but you may be looking at the lesser of 2 evils. I’m afraid in your case, I would give it a try. If IBD isn’t diet controlled, it can get very serious.

[crazy4cats]

Yes, Sue, I gave prednisone to my previous dog. It actually worked very well and kept his bloody diarrhea under control. If you can taper off to the the lowest dosage possible after time, that would be best. I was always worried that the prednisone would shorten his life, but the vet said his life would be shortened also if I didn’t give it to him. What do you do? I wish you the best!

[aquariangt]

What kind of side effects does it have on dogs? When I was on it myself it made me a bit like a ravenous animal…

[Dori]

Some of the side effects I’ve experienced for myself on higher doses are hunger, thirst, and hyper. I’m now on the lowest dose possible and have been for a number of years. Not particularly hungrier than normal anymore or as thirsty. I’m a hyper person by nature (NYC gal) so that was really the worst part for me. I also have insomnia so at higher dose I was up 24/7 for a few days at a time then would pass out from exhaustion and then it would start all over again. I’m glad I no longer have that side effect, I’m wired enough as it is all my myself.

[aquariangt]

Right, that was my problem when I was on it. Insomnia, insane hunger, a bit aggressive… wasn’t my favorite. Worked though, and it’s definitely a cheap medication for what it does

[Dori]

OH! I forgot about the aggression on the higher doses. I was not pleasant to be around. I could barely stand being around myself I don’t know how anyone else did. My hubby is a saint. 🙂

[Susan]

Hi everyone, the thing is he doesnt have diarrhea at the moment, he hasnt had sloppy poos or diarrhea since December when I tried a new grainfree diet that was 15% fat & was Salmon & potatos, So the fat was probably too high & maybe the potatos gave him diarrhea..He has more stomach problems burping, stomach acid & bad reflux & Ive read that prednisolone can affect their stomach & give stomach ulcers, Ive been doing alot of reading & have read that with IBD that the stomach can be affected, its connected to the small intestine & the dog will need less fiber but when the large intestine is affected they need higher fiber diet & Patch does better on a low fiber diet, so it must be his small intestine that has the problem, the only real way to diagnose IBD is to open him up & do bi-opsys & I wont do that, his last vet kept wanting to cut him open but the new vet said if the prednisolone works then he knows that its IBD & he doesnt need to prove it to himself by opening him up… Ive read that it can cause aggression in dogs… thats all I need Patch is a Staffy & has been bitten a few times by little dogs but he has always walked away but today at the Mall a little black dog bit him & Patch bit her back & wouldnt let go of her fur, the owner said sorry that his dog bites other dogs & I havnt givin Patch the Prednisolone yet ….Today Ive put Patch back on his Zantac as I took him off 1 month ago as hes been doing heaps better.. I have real bad stomach acid & take 40mg Somac twice a day & Im much better so Im thinking Im not on a steriod for my stomach acid… I think this new vet has read all Patches history that was sent over & read that Patches last vet dignosed Patch with IBD & seasonal skin allergies & thinks that the prednisolone will help his skin (paws) problem…. for some reason I wont except that Patch has IBD or IBS. I dont know why, maybe cause its Irritable bowel & no irritable stomach just something in my gut is telling me not to give Patch the prednisolone & the high dose 30mgs a day for 2 weeks..maybe if I give him just 2 x5mg tablets in morning & the other 2 at night instead of the 3x5mg .. my mum has Myloma & for chemo she was put on 40mg a day & she weigh 90kilos

[Mom2Cavs]

Terrible medicine! Lucy Mae, who has skin cancer, has just been put on prednisone about a month ago by my holistic vet. We held off as long as we could. She is now in last stages. I knew about all the side effects, but boy, this medicine has changed my once great house dog into a raving lunatic! She went from a dog that bothered absolutely nothing in the house to raiding every trash can in the place. She can barely reach the counters but is constantly trying to surf them….and actually stole a whole loaf of bread off by the tiniest part of the package that was sticking off the edge, she ate most of it before I found her. We have to be very careful where we put stuff now, when never before. She’s panting all the time, too. She has not become aggressive, thank goodness. She has always been a little moody, so I was worried about it. The vet told me that this medicine will eventually stop helping her lymph nodes. So, after the last pills yesterday I’m not giving her anymore of it. We will let God take care of her and nature take its course. It’s very sad to watch how this medicine affected her, let alone the cancer itself. It will be devastating when it’s time to let her go, but I know then she won’t be in pain and misery any longer. Even though that time is still a little ways off, I’m preparing myself and family. 🙁

[Dori]

Mom2Cavs. I think prednisone is a horrible medication. What I do want to say now that Lucy Mae has been on it for a month, if you are going to stop the prednisone you have to wean her off of it. You can’t just simply stop. It won’t be good for Lucy Mae. You should possibly call your vet and tell them that you are absolutely going to stop the prednisone and that your call is not for discussion on that issue, that your call is what is the best way to wean her off. Don’t let them convince you to keep her on it. It’s your call and yours alone what you want to do about Lucy Mae, not theirs. Also, google, weaning dog off prednisone. There’s a schedule of how to do it, it’s just not coming to mind right now. I’ll try to google it also for you.

Edit: If you type in on google Wean Dog Off Prednisone, you will find a lot of info on how to do this. It is extremely important to not stop abruptly. Abrupt discontinuation of the drug can cause a metabolic crisis. Please call the prescribing vet and/or read some of the articles and posts on line on the subject and learn how to do it properly to not make matters worse for Lucy Mae. I know your first instinct is to just stop. Please check it out.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 5 months ago by Dori.

[Mom2Cavs]

Thanks for the reply, I am in constant contact with my holistic vet (who hates the medicine as much as anyone). We put off using as long as we could and now she doesn’t want me to use it anymore so and she is telling me what to do with it and how to stop using it. I appreciate your concern, though.

[T]

Hi Sue,

Pred can cause a quick turnaround for SOME dogs, but I’ve seen more than one who did not have a miracle cure from it. Without a histological diagnosis (biopsy) it’s anyone’s guess what’s going on at a cellular level. That doesn’t stop you from providing some well-considered therapy, though. Have you considered seeing a vet who uses traditional Chinese medicine techniques? I’ve had some decent luck with chronic diarrhea/vomiting/mysterious GI badness using diet, nutritional supplements and herbs +/- acupuncture. And all that stuff can be used in conjunction with pred or whatever conventional meds you are trying.

Tabitha
http://naturalalternativesvet.com

[JeffreyT]

Probiotics, digestive enxymes and healthier foods (home cooked and raw dehydrated), plus some other supplements have helped my dog’s bloody, loose stool and immune system. The probiotics that I have used are Mercola, Wysong (which also has colostrum in it to help build immune system), and VSL#3 (a medical grade probiotic delivered with ice). I’ve heard good things about Nusentia’s Probiotic Miracle helping IBD.

You may want to call Animals Essentials (they are very knowledgeable and their products are the purest around) and ask what may help. I’ve used their phytomucil for both loose stools and constipation. I’ve also found Wysong supplements to be helpful during times of sickness.

Here is Dr.Karen Becker’s take on IBD
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2010/11/02/inflammatory-bowel-disease-in-pets.aspx
Here is Dogaware’s info which may be helpful too
http://dogaware.com/health/digestive.html#ibd
Keep searching and you will find an answer.

Sometimes medicine is needed but my preference is using natural so it actually heals and gets to the root of the problem.
Good luck.

[Small]

How is Patch doing? I, too, have had experiences with Prednisone when my Amber had stomach issues. It does help get things under control, but sometimes with side effects. I have read that long-term use can cause Cushing’s disease. Amber developed a bladder infection that I believe was a side effect of the Prednisone. It took 3 lots of antibiotics to finally get rid of it. An ultrasound shows she still has thickening of the bladder wall after 2 months infection free. I did lots of research which led me to change her to a grain-free diet (Acana). Actually, I am now starting to incorporate Orijen. I have added probiotics, vitamins & minerals, krill oil, and a whole food supplement (all Mercola products). She had not had any diarrhea, gas, or anal gland issues since. Not to mention her coat has become soft and silky.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by Small.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by Small.

[Susan]

Hi Small, I never gave Patch no Prednisone, I read alot & its a quick fix that doesnt get to the root of his real problem, It has helped a few dogs with real bad IBD but not all…I rung the new vet & told him that I still havnt given Patch no Prednisone..he said thats OK, then I said Im stopping his boiled chicken in the morning then he said if you elminate chicken I have to change his eukanuba Intestinal as its chicken & turkey, so I bought the wellness Simple Duck & Oatmeal the duck has the lowest fat% 11%, I swapped his chicken with Tuna in springwater he only gets half a small can drained then mixed with pumkin on 1 slice of toast to keep it down, as he was burping up the chicken & pumkin, he seems better on the Tuna we just had 2 days that he had his pain in his stomach, Ive read a few of Dr Beckers post & she said that some dogs dont make enough stomach acid, thats probably why when he took the Losec it made things worst as the Losec would of stopped all stomach acids & Carafate never helped, I thought the Zantac was helping but maybe not as when things work he lets me give them to him like his Probiotic I mix with 10ml water & he loves drinking it but when he sees me get his Zantac he’d run & start playing try & catch me mum I dont want that pill….I hate changing kibbles I always worry will he get diarrhea like once before, so Ive just been giving him some Simple Duck kibbles as treat & some mixed in with his lunch time kibble, but his hive like lumps on his head that he was getting are gone so maybe he cant tolorate chicken, but his Intestinal has Chicken unless the way its cooked for kibble in the end there’s not much chicken at 23% protein, if I increase his protein he get his stomach reflux & pain, all I know is when he gets whatever he gets, he’ll sit near me lift his front right paw & I have to rub his tummy & he starts doing his licking his mouth like he feels sick..I ask him do u fell sick & he’ll start to lick me as if to say yes…
May I ask Small what vitamins & minerals do you give, Im in Australia & I cant order the Mercola or Berte products they dont have a distributor for Austraila they need someone to export their products.. Ive looked online for digestive enzymes & I cant find none, so Id say Id have to get from the vet as they can order in stuff we cant..

[Small]

You are an excellent pet parent! I can definitely relate to some of your frustrations, but they are like our children. I give my dog HALO vitamin/mineral mix. Amber was lucky. She does not have IBD, but did have an enlarged spleen. The vet specialist said they were completely unrelated issues, but who knows. We did have her spleen removed and her stomach biopsied at the same time; hence, no IBD. Ironically, if we hadn’t done the ultrasound to see what was going on with her stomach, we may never have found out about the enlarged spleen until it was too late. What type of dog is Patch?

[Susan]

Hi Small, Patch is a 5 year old English Staffordshire Terrier a little shorty, Patch had an Ultra Scan about 3 weeks ago as he was having his real bad pain on his right side, thats how I went to a new vet, his Ultra Scan came back all good Pancreas looked good, Gall Bladder had no stones, intestines had no thickening but he said its hard to see the whole bowel cause there’s air in the bowel, I got him to look at Patches bladder cause when I got him he was weeing blood & had crystals the rescue vet said probably from being used for breeding & he was desexed, the crystals all diluted but I was just wondered if they had come back, but no, vet said his bladder has no thickening either bladder looked good, so I dont know what’s wrong with him, thats why I think vets say IBD when they dont know whats wrong & I dont want to have Patch cut open & biopsies, I feel that the results will come back all good..the rescue vet said whoever owned him before looks like he had a few homes cause he was Micro chipped as Patch but he never came to that name Patch, so I’d say the last owner never changed his name & didnt update the address on his Micro chip also Id say he was feed a very poor diet probably Pal Pedigree or Purina or Aldi foods..something happened in his past, he’s also a bugger for eating cat poo, I stop him but the neighbours dont clean up any cat poo lying around so I have to have eyes in the back of my head, the new vet said maybe next week put Patch back on the Metronidazole for 2 weeks just incase he has his stomach bacteria back again as his mouth is starting to smell again last December he was put on the Metronidazole & his stinky breath went away maybe he just keeps getiing the H-pylori Bacteria virus that gives you bad stomach acid burning so maybe thats what he’s getting after breakfast thats when he has his pain the worst..

[Author]

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