[CorkyMax]

[/B]The Use of Prednisone in Dogs
By Tess Thompson

Through time, dogs have proven their usefulness to humans. In the Stone Age and beyond, dogs and their keen sense of smell aided man in hunting. In today’s fast-paced world, dogs help us in relieving stress by providing stress-relieving companionship.

A good owner accepts great responsibility for the relationship he shares with his dog. Taking good care of your canine pal is not always easy. Reality checks happen in the form of diseases, and the solution is not always as simple as giving medication. Many medicines that are administered to dogs come with their own set of complications and side effects.

Prednisone is one drug that is often used for treating autoimmune diseases in dogs. It is a synthetic, inactive corticosteroid that is chemically converted by the liver into prednisolone, an active steroid. The benefits of using the drug for treating a number of conditions in humans and animals have been established over time. Prednisone has varied and diverse uses. Some examples are as follows:

1.Treatment of excessive itching
2.Alleviation of asthma and other allergies
3.Managing emergencies like injuries to the spinal chord
4.Controlling rejections during organ transplants
5.Treating kidney disorders
On one hand, the manner in which this drug works allows it to be extremely versatile. It suppresses the immune system; therefore, it can be used to treat auto-immune, inflammatory, and kidney diseases.

On the other hand, the side effects that prednisone causes are burdensome for the pet owner. The following side effects can present themselves even when the drug is used for a short period of time:

1.Renal disorders
2.Abnormal thirst levels
3.Excessive hunger
Side effects that occur after a considerable period of usage are as follows:

1.Ulcers in the digestive tract
2.Pain and inflammation in pancreas
3.Diabetes
4.Degeneration of muscles
5.Unpredictable change in behaviors
The most dangerous side effect that can appear while administering prednisone is hyperadrenocorticism in dogs . Also known as Cushing’s disease, this condition is caused by an inadvertent overdose of the drug.

Since it is a corticosteroid itself, prednisone obstructs the proper functioning of the adrenal glands. If the drug is continued for more than a week, it can affect the normal functioning of the adrenal glands on a permanent basis. This results in a dependency on the drug, since the body is unable to create its own natural corticosteroids.

Though prednisone seems like a wonder drug at times, indiscriminate use of this drug can be very dangerous. It can lead to conditions like Cushing’s disease in dogs and also Addison’s disease, both of which can prove to be fatal.


How safe is prednisone for allergy treatment?

I know personally that this is bad crap---My mother's schnauzer got diabetes from being on this crap and finally died because of it.
I also know it is hard to wean off of this drug esp. if taken too long. The immune system quits working because this crap shuts it off!!! So what do you think happens next?!! Compromised immune system= ill health and open to all the mentioned diseases and other bad things!!No thank you--There has to be a better way! And who wants to take the chance that your dog is not going to be the one that has really bad reactions just from very little use -let alone the long term!

[Lara's mom]

I can't speak to this drugs usefullness for many of the ailments you mentioned but, I know for a fact that it made all the difference in Baileys life. When she was just six months old, she incurred a soft tissue injury caused by playing with a dog who was way too big and strong for her (her step-mom's stupid fault). For the next six months, Bailey was on various anti-inflammatory drugs and pain killers. She had to be carried out to the backyard to "do her business". The rest of the time, she divided her time between the sofa and the bed.

We took her to every kind of specialist you can name in the hope of giving her back her mobility and the puppy-hood that was passing her by. Nobody seemed to be able to offer us any answers. As you can imagine, our vet bills were in the thousands of dollars (thank the Goddess for pet health insurance). We were in such despair that we even talked about euthanizing her if she was not going to have a reasonable quality of life.

At that point, her Doctor decided to try her on a course of prednisone. Basically, we had nothing to lose at this point. Within two weeks, she hopped off of the sofa, went down the stairs to the backyard, started playing with her toys and was perfectly fine. She has never had a problem since.

I agree 100% that we need to be aware of any possible adverse effects from the medication we give our beloved companions. However, my fear is that with so much focus on the negative effects, canine parents will lose sight of the positive benefits of various drugs. To me it is a matter of "balanced reporting". I would not want to see people denying their dogs needed medication because they are only getting one side of the story.

[Yogi]

I have to agree, as one who has had many more dogs than most and with this unfortunately been subjected to more issues than most I have found prednizone to have been a life saver. With Ole Jack, he was on one a day for 9 years of his 16 plus years for arthritis and did fine. I keep this stocked at all times for mild leg injuries to sore necks and not once have I in all these years dealt with any side effect outside of increased thirst. When Baby was diagnosed with diabetes, he had never been or had ever taken any steroid.
I remember some years back a purebred German Shepherd was diagnosed with severe hip dysplasia. He was given one injection of cortisone followed by a dose once a day of oral prednizone. Up to that point the dog was not able to use his hind legs at all. Within 2 days he was walking around and by the 3rd day was running. After 10 days they discontinued the prednizone and literally within 24 hours he again was not able to use his hind legs. They started him back on the prednizone and within a day was up and about again. He took it daily for 5 1/2 years dying at the age of 15 1/2 which is a fair life beyond the breeds life expectancy. He had no weight issues and only side effect was the increase in water and urination. Small price to pay for his quality of life considering what it would have been had he not been given the med. I personally in my own dogs have seen the benefit. Unfortunately too many put the comparison of steroid in human use and side effects and therefore assume this will be the same in animals. Fact is that dogs have a much higher tolerance for steroids than humans and in fact cats have an even higher tolerance than dogs.

[Lara's mom]

Thanks so much for your post. I have been feeling for some time that the entire drug issue on this forum is way too one sided. I would really hate to see a dog denied medication because owners only got one side of the story.

[Yogi]

The reality is, is that much of the web in inundated with "opinions". Such as many of the sites where they have been written by a Vet for animals or by a Physician for people. These are basically based on their own opinion and as we all know, it is advisable to get a second opinion.
Anyone can write a book but whether factual or not one must take into consideration that just because it is in print does not make it fact. This holds true with the internet. Anyone who is willing to rely on this instead of confirming though other resources needs to take a second look at what issues may arise when they only rely on one source. Before the internet we relied on our physicians and veterinarians re: medical diagnosis and prognosis as well as any medicine. Far too many are jumping on the net and unfortunately see the first of many hundred sites and therefore assume it must be for real. The real is what your own Vet or Doctor tells you, not what some person who wrote an article that was posted on the internet tells you. Be reminded, we are not doctors or vets so to avoid beginning to think that we may be, it is best to consult those you have entrusted for years. A live actual person. I do not believe anyone who claims to be a vet, vet tech etc when it comes to the care of my dogs and cats. Who I trust is the person I can see visually wherein I can then make a determination as to credibility based on my years in a specific chosen field that lends to dealing with frauds, liars and cons. It may be best that when posting and reading such posts that though they may hold merit, it should be in the context that they are for viewing only and not to be taken has factual but something to consider. Thus promoting a thoughtful discussion with your veterinarian next visit.
Just food for thought.

[CorkyMax]

Sorry, I should of put this post here instead of where I did but guess it is 'good' for both places!

Cheryl, I just read Jasmine's story. It made me cry. If you put this link in here before I must of missed it--I had a tendency to avoid the Rainbow Bridge section in here as it affected me too much. She sure was a great dog.
I can see why you want to tell everybody about proin. If anybody else has read this story they would understand why some deadly drugs should not be given--You have had the experience 1st hand. I may not be a vet but how could any vet give that poison to a dog who already had pancreatitis let alone a healthy dog??!! Now can anyone tell me that this vet was a good vet
and knew what he was doing? Can anyone tell me that a person should not know all the deadly side effects that could happen with the use of most of the drugs given to our babies!!? Can anyone tell me that after reading the very long and well-read thread in here on Proin that this drug should not be in use!!? I am not going to play 'Russian Roulette' with my two boys!!! If I had not seen this thread and my vet gave this poison I would have no idea until it was too late like so many that come in this forum and tell their story! How much more proof do you need? Yes there are some dogs that did okay on things like prednisone--maybe even Rimadyl BUT if the vet doesn't do blood tests, etc and find that your dog is in good shape before just giving the crap--How risky is this!!?? I know how my dog reacted to Rimadyl.(and he was healthy!) I know that my mother's dog died because of the prednisone complications. When I put all these side effects in this forum on poisonous meds --at least the warnings are there and so is the info that the vet should of given before administering so freely. Now if someone came in here and said their dog is on Proin and is doing just fine on it and no one knew all the facts about Proin--unthinkable as to how many pets might die!!
How can you say this is too one-sided about the bad side effects--It is something, period, that should be stated by the vet before anything is even given!! I want everyone to know what could kill their dog, esp, to know that they should 'make' their vet do bloodwork 1st and to check the dog out 'thoroughly' and what to look for if their dog is on these things before it is too late and the dog is permanently damaged or dies! There may be cases that the dog is so bad that there is not much choice but it is still important to know all the facts and be aware of what side effects are involved so you know to get your dog off of it if it is having them--before it kills it!! (Lara and Yogi) Wouldn't it also be great if everybody had a good vet and did everything right like yours, Lara (and I like that yours uses holistic/homeopathic methods also) and like Yogi's too! And how do you know if you have a good vet--You may not know until your dog dies that the vet was not good----After all we are not suppose to be knowledgeable about all these meds they give and what they should of done before giving ---As I said before--they are not GOD. And knowing how dangerous some of these meds are--there are other meds to replace some of these killers that are given---Rimadyl can be replaced by Tramadol for pain for one and has less side effects. If you research when you have to get a med for your dog--the internet is still a good place to do that---Your vet (the bad ones) is not going to be a very good source. And no one is 'holding a gun to your head' and making you do whatever you read---You have a brain--use it! If all the bad vets were known and 'lost their jobs' because of it--I just wonder what the percentages would be!!

And what about the new 1st time dog owner who all of a sudden has an emergency and has never been to a vet---The one they choose to go to, and in a hurry (emergency) may not be a good vet and they may not figure that out until it is too late! At least if they read about things in this forum--because this is a dog forum to learn about dogs, and it is read here before hand--At least there is some info that could help when they go to vet-esp.
first time seeing this vet!!

Another thing--It should be a law that vets give handouts and have to do blood work before giving some of these bad drugs! :cry:

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[Mr. Vega]

Geez, I am off of school for a few weeks and I come back to find Corky is at it again Bashin those vets and their silly drugs!

Prednisone... ahh what to say??? Can it be very, very helpful? Oh yea. Is it used WAY too much in vet medicine? Oh yea.

Sometimes, there is no alternative (well, other than to let the disease run its course and probably get worse). To say "I know personally that this is bad crap" is a little overboard. You give me a dog with autoimmune disease affecting ______, I'm thinkin pred. There are usually about 3 options when the disease is caused by the immune system itself: Let it do its thing (and probably get worse), reach for the pred, or invent a cheap drug to treat it while making millions.

There are a handful of autoimmune diseases that can be treated with other drugs, but, they're usually very expensive. And, i'm here to tell ya, 90% of the people that walk through a vet's door aren't willing to pay the kind of money it costs for those drugs. I mean, its a crappy choice, but, that's life.

I'm thinking this was the message that Lara's mom was communicating to everyone. Drugs, on this forum, are portrayed in a very negative light because usually they're filled with people that have a reason to get on the forum and talk about them negatively. I mean, how many people do you think get online just so they can tell everyone that Drug X didn't cause any adverse effects in their dog? You just don't know how literal people will take you when they read this. Suggesting an individual take their pet off a drug and/or find another vet could be dangerous for their pet b/c none of us really know the situation of any of these people. All we can do is provide accurate, proven information.

Also, you really can't just substitute Tramadol for an NSAID like Rimadyl. Tramadol is an opiod, meaning, it doesn't really have any anti-inflammatory properties so it is just used for its analgesic effects. So, while it reduces the sensation of pain, the inflammation will still exist and that is what you want to eliminate.

[CorkyMax]

Originally Posted by Mr. Vega

Geez, I am off of school for a few weeks and I come back to find Corky is at it again Bashin those vets and their silly drugs! Lol, somebody has got to do it!

Prednisone... ahh what to say??? Can it be very, very helpful? Oh yea. Is it used WAY too much in vet medicine? Oh yea. Could this be the problem--If the dog doesn't really need it very bad---Can there be more side effects because the med isn't needed to fight something and therefore is putting the strength of the med in other places and doing more harm than good!?? I know I'm not saying this very well but hope you get the idea of what I am trying to say! And I am not just talking about prednisone but rimadyl would be a better example for this!

Sometimes, there is no alternative (well, other than to let the disease run its course and probably get worse). To say "I know personally that this is bad crap" is a little overboard.As far as the rimadyl and my experience--I do feel it was not necessary for the pain--My dog was not being bothered by pain so was this drug putting all of it's 'powers' elsewhere? Wish I knew how to word this better! You give me a dog with autoimmune disease affecting ______, I'm thinkin pred. There are usually about 3 options when the disease is caused by the immune system itself: Let it do its thing (and probably get worse), reach for the pred, or invent a cheap drug to treat it while making millions.

There are a handful of autoimmune diseases that can be treated with other drugs, but, they're usually very expensive. And, i'm here to tell ya, 90% of the people that walk through a vet's door aren't willing to pay the kind of money it costs for those drugs. I mean, its a crappy choice, but, that's life. But what do you think the percentages might be for the members in this forum? ---We all love our dogs here and want the 'best' treatment to keep our 'kids' healthy and alive.

I'm thinking this was the message that Lara's mom was communicating to everyone. Drugs, on this forum, are portrayed in a very negative light because usually they're filled with people that have a reason to get on the forum and talk about them negatively. I mean, how many people do you think get online just so they can tell everyone that Drug X didn't cause any adverse effects in their dog? You just don't know how literal people will take you when they read this. Suggesting an individual take their pet off a drug and/or find another vet could be dangerous for their pet b/c none of us really know the situation of any of these people. All we can do is provide accurate, proven information.

Also, you really can't just substitute Tramadol for an NSAID like Rimadyl. Tramadol is an opiod, meaning, it doesn't really have any anti-inflammatory properties so it is just used for its analgesic effects. So, while it reduces the sensation of pain, the inflammation will still exist and that is what you want to eliminate.

(COrky/Max)--> Sorry,but the way I feel about Rimadyl---There were drugs that were used before 'this killer' got put on the market for dogs---This drug was 'pushed' by the greedy pharmeceutical companies because it was 'banned' for human use. If it is not safe for humans--It is not safe for my dogs either!! The pharmeceutical companies had to get their greedy money somehow!!! And that is why it is the main drug prescribed now. And I will not believe that these companies do not have any influence on the vets!!! By the way---Can you tell me the drugs that got replaced by Rimadyl? ----I would like to know because if my dogs need something it will not be Rimadyl!!

What are your thoughts on Proin, Mr. Vega? What a chance to take on this CRAP for --yes--not nice to put up with incontinence in your dog but I'd rather find a better way than have a dead dog! This drug for this problem has got to be the biggest sadness when you lose the dog for a nonthreatenig thing such as incontinence!!

[Mr. Vega]

If you like, I'll try to find the statistics, but, I think the incidence of adverse effects reported with Carprofen (rimadyl) are higher than others because it is used WAY more than other NSAIDS. Pfizer is the only company that makes carprofen. Its popularity wasn't due to it being "pushed" by Pfizer. I've seen marketing for other Pfizer animal health products in the veterinary world that WERE pushed and marketed very hard, and, they have never really had near the success that carprofen has. It became such a stable in the vets' offices because it was on the of the first NSAIDS to be cox-2 selective. Because of this, carprofen was proving to cause fewer GI ulcerations which is the main concern for prescribing any NSAID. There now exists a nice variety of NSAIDs that are actually cox-2 specific, not selective, and have proven to be just as good in many veterinarians' eyes - example: deracoxib (deramaxx) by Novartis.

Anyway, back to the original statement. If I remember correctly, the incidence of adverse effects was essentially equal for most of the more modern (carprofen and up) NSAIDs when evaluated in laboratory setting. So, if this really is true (in a lab and out), than the higher occurrence of adverse effects with carprofen is merely due to the rate in which it is being prescribed.

Proin? I could speculate, but, I simply do not know enough about that one just yet. I know what it is, how it works, and potential adverse effects, but, to speak on real world application of its use would be me just blowing smoke. I know one thing though - more animals than youd ever want to know about are put down because of urinary/fecal incontinence. As you can see, I expect to spend a lot of my career between a rock and a hard place.

Back to the Pred --> To understand it means one has to know the actions of natural cortisol in the body, which, is a pretty robust piece of information itself. You can't really think about it as in "the drug attacks the disease and if there is no disease it goes somewhere else in the body." It is most commonly used, as you know, for immune suppression (for the whole body, not just the part that is in a diseased state). So, it doesn't really go to specific sites for its action, it just works all over (i guess you could say it like that) and you happen to get the disease in the process (and the side effects). But yes, every specialist in every vet school across the nation will tell you those drugs are used too much. They're great when the situation calls for it, but, they've turned into cheap, quick fixes for doctors and/or owners that aren't willing to put in the time and money. So, my personal advise to owners? Be cautious about its use, but, don't disregard it as dangerous every time a vet reaches for it.

[Lara's mom]

When Bailey was injured, we spent 6 months and a fortune considering that we got 80% back from her insurance company going to various specialists, subjecting her to all kinds of tests, confining her in the hope her injury would heal, accupuncture, strong pain medication - you name it. We tried it.

I can honestly say that without that course of prednisone, Bailey, now almost 13 years old, would not be laying in the sofa right now enjoying a really smelly bulls dick chewey. We could not have let her constant pain continue indefinitely. I have my beloved first born with me today because of prednisone.