Dog nose sores healing, vet prescribed steroids, should I give them?

You need to get it checked by your vet, just to make sure it is a wart and not a tumor. In most cases it would be recommended to just leave it be, that is if it doesn't bother Bobby. 6 months of steroid treatment is a long time, it's definitely not something I would recommend. There is a new medication for skin allergies called Apoquel, it's much safer than steroids, especially long term, just so you know for next time.

This presentation could be due to a trauma or localized spot of skin infection (likely to be caused by bacteria - so called hot spot). A check up, appropriate disinfection and possibly antibiotics (oral, topical or in a shampoo formulation) are needed to solve the problem. Disinfection may be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any scratching. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

I'd cover it so Precious can't scratch it, but I wouldn't use cortisone cream on it. This may be the wrong treatment for the cause and may adversely affect her. Have her seen by a vet for it so it can be treated properly. Best of luck.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While I agree with your veterinarian that this can be due to an infection. However, I think a fungal infection like cryptococcus seems more likely and that would only respond to anti-fungal therapy. Another possibility is cancer such as squamous cell carcinoma. I recommend you consider having him reevaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. May be a biopsy could be done at this time since it has not improved. Good luck and have a great day!

Those are definitely the side-effects; increased appetite and thirst, change in behavior, panting more and weight gain. For more information about the side-effects, I recommend you read the article at the link below. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/steroid-treatment-long-term-effects-in-dogs I assume the nose condition you described was diagnosed as an autoimmune disease (i.e. lupus, pemphigus). The mainstay treatment for this condition is prednisone. However, there are other possible treatments, so it's worth scheduling a recheck appointment with your veterinarian. It's quite common for some owners not to like the side-effects of steroids, so they should understand and be able to suggest other options. I hope that helps and Kenzie gets better soon.

Based on your description and her age, I personally would not recommend steroids for this skin infection. Express your concerns to the vet and consider not giving the steroids going forward. Often-times a topical spray that contains a steroid is helpful and not as much of an issue as oral steroids can be. The antibiotics alone however should take care of her skin condition if this is just a bacterial pyoderma. I hope that this helps! Best of luck with your pet Molly moving forward. Take care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The real answer is- it depends on why they were prescribed and for how long. If this is for an auto-immune disease, your pet’s life may depend on the steroids. Same for severe asthma or allergic reaction. If however, it is for itching or minor swelling/inflammation, or allergies, a shorter course or even a single injection may be safe. In general steroids do not tend to cause serious side effects unless they are used at high doses or for long courses of treatment. Long story short, it may be perfectly fine to skip the oral medication but definitely ask your doctor first.