My dog on steroids isn't better, has bloating & accidents. Call vet?

Unfortunately, these are common side effects of prednisone - it often causes bloating, weight gain with a pot-bellied appearance, and in many cases seems to be make dogs more irritable. It may also cause increased thirst, urination, and appetite. I'm not sure what medical condition your dog has that the prednisone is treating, but I would recommend talking with your vet about your concerns - in many cases, there are altnerative medications such as Atopica or Apoquel for allergy problems, or azathioprine for immune-mediated illnesses, that can be just as effective and generally cause fewer side effects. It may be possible to reduce your dog's dose of prednisone or even taper off of it altogether if a different medication is used.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. That is a very high dose of steroids for a dog his size. This dose will suppress his immune system in addition to all of the side effects that you are noticing at home. Steroids will cause panting, increased thirst, urination and hunger. Some dogs will experience skin and coat changes, muscle weakness/ loss and gastrointestinal ulcers in rare cases. Doses this high are only used to treat severe life threatening conditions. I recommend contacting his veterinarian today to discuss his treatment plan. Typically the steroids are tapered once the primary disease is under control. There are other immunosuppressive drugs available that may have less side effects. Perhaps he would do better on a different medication. However, never stop steroids yourself as they need to be carefully tapered down. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear Rusty had an infection in his paw, those can be ouchy! Prednisone has a lot of medical indications, but the side effects do include an increase in appetite, drinking/urinating more, and a possible "bloated" abdominal appearance. These symptoms typically resolve within 48-72 hours after completing the course of the medication. If they are persistent or you are concerned, I would recommend reaching out to your regular veterinarian to see if Rusty needs to be re-checked or if anything else may be going on. Good luck!

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! In my professional opinion, this is a much higher dose than what I would use. I normally do not exceed 60mg daily regardless of the size of the dog just because of the potential side effects such as gastrointestinal ulceration and bleeding as well as the undesirable side effects you describe. I recommend you bring up your concerns to the prescribing veterinarian who knows the case well, to taper his dose down slowly. It is important to not discontinue or lower too much this medication acutely as problems can arise with this approach. For now, look for any evidence of gastrointestinal bleeding such as black, tarry stools. If observed, let your veterinarian know right away. Good luck with your boy!

Poor guy. Steroids can cause abnormal stools, so this is likely the culprit. Also his body is stressed, so loose stool is commonly seen. You can try giving him a bland diet of boiled plain chicken and rice or cottage cheese for a few days, then slowly transition him back to his normal diet once his stools do return to normal. 1-2 tsp of canned pumpkin (not the pie filling) can also be added to his food daily to help solidify his stools. If he still has loose stools after 48 hrs, then a repeat vet visit is likely needed to get him on something stronger. You should continue to give the Benadryl as instructed by your vet. I hope that your puppy feels better soon and that his stools return to normal on a consistent basis. Best wishes and take care.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Marvis! Steroids can cause personality changes: some animals become aggressive, some more sedate, is causes increased thirst and urination and panting. I am concerned though that Marvis is having seizures. Video tape an episode if it happens again and pay attention if he loses consciousness during the episode. Another possibility is that she is painful. I would at a minimum call your Vet today to discuss this but I think she should be looked at again. I hope this helps and I wish Marvis the best!

If the skin lesions became worse on prednisone one has to seriously consider that these lesions may be caused by mange mites. Your vet would need to take a skin scraping and hope to find a mite in the scraping (this is not easy). Mange mites do emit a sort of sweetish odor, so this would be another giveaway. Of course this could also be caused by a fungus or bacterial infection, however the lesions should have improved with the antibiotics given. You will need to take Buster back to your veterinarian for a recheck.