My dog has a brain tumor & arthritis. Can Prednisolone help delay euthanasia?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm so sorry to hear that your veterinarian suspects that Sky has a brain tumor. There are some clinical signs/neurologic abnormalities that can increase suspicion for a brain tumor, such as abnormal behavior, circling when walking, seeming blind or staring off into space, seizures, etc. Advanced imaging such as a CT scan or an MRI would be the way to definitively diagnose a brain tumor. Prednisone is a common steroid medication with anti-inflammatory properties that can help decrease some of these clinical signs and make dogs feel better. Making the decision to euthanize a pet is never easy, and I'm sorry that you are faced with this right now. If Sky is improving, it is not wrong to delay her euthanasia. I recommend thinking about Sky's ability to do things she normally enjoys, and if she is still able to do a lot of those things, maybe it isn't time to euthanize just yet. I hope this is helpful - my thoughts are with you during this difficult time.

I'm so sorry! It will not hurt to give her more pred but this is likely not going to make her feel any better. She really needs pain medication. If your vet gave you an opiate pain medication like tramadol, this is appropriate to give up to three times daily. More pred is likely going to make her pant more and could potentially make her feel nauseous--it is a steroid and not specifically pain medication.

Hello. You can wean her off the pred onto the Metacam , or you can add additional pain medications such as tramadol or gabapentin. I, personally do not like long-term prednisone because of the possibility of side effects, but even Metacam can cause some issues. Regardless of what you & your veterinarian choose for Sydney, make sure periodic blood work is run to pick up any early signs of problems. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

NOOOOOO!! Please don't give her aspirin or ibuprofen. That is absolutely contraindicated in a dog that is on steroids! You cannot mix steroids (prednisone) and non-steroidals (like aspirin and ibuprofen). This can cause a serious problem (namely GI ulceration that can perforate, liver failure and kidney failure). Non-steroidals will not help at all with cancer anyway; steroids will. If anything, you should talk to your vet about increasing the prednisone dose again. Every 3-5 days is an extremely low dose and is probably not doing anything at all. She needs to be on a very high dose when you are treating cancer. Please call your vet with your concerns and get her back on a higher dose of steroids. Hope this helps. Best wishes!

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This is a great question. Long-term administration of *any* medication will have pros and cons, but in my opinion if the prednisone is keeping Sasha comfortable, she can definitely stay on it long-term. Side effects and concerns associated with prednisone are all dose-dependent, and Sasha's dose of 5mg every other day is an extremely low and safe dose. I would be very comfortable keeping her at this dose long-term, and would not expect any harm to come from it. We have a long list of conditions that are treated with prednisone, and I have many patients who must be on prednisone for life. These patients tend to do great, often on MUCH higher doses than Sasha is receiving. As long as your vet is comfortable with you keeping her on prednisone, go for it! Hope this helps! Feel free to request a consultation if you'd like to discuss Sasha's management in more detail.

I'm sorry to hear that Daisy received this diagnosis. There are certainly risks and benefits to both options with respect to side effects, life span and cost. Side effects of prednisone in the short term can cause excessive drinking and urination. Some animals with underlying heart disease can go into congestive heart failure and other animals can develop diabetes as a result of the high doses of corticosteroids given in these situations. Around 40% of dogs can achieve remission for 4-6 weeks with prednisone alone, but this is certainly based upon an individual's response to medication and if any metastatic (spread) of disease is present. Obviously, this treatment is much less expensive, but a much shorter survival time is expected. Daisy's chemotherapy protocol is based on whether she has B cell or T cell lymphoma and if any metastatic disease is present. As a generalized statement, lymphoma responds to chemotherapy better than most cancers. Oncologists strive to administer chemotherapeutic drugs at doses that will kill cancerous cells while avoiding as many side effects as possible. The side effects possible vary with different chemotherapeutic drugs. In short, there is no right or wrong choice. You need to evaluate both options to determine your comfort level. If you haven't already done so, consider a consultation with a veterinary oncologist for more information. I hope this helps!

I recommend to work with your veterinarian to find the lowest effective dose of the prednisone and to discuss any other alternatives such as pain medication, surgery to correct the jaw pain if possible or diet modification to help negate the weight gain. Have Mary Shiloh examined by her veterinarian at least every few weeks to keep any eye on her heart and weight. I hope this helps.