My dog is tired after prednisone and doxycycline. Is this normal?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Lua. Yes, a general loss of energy is a common side effect of prednisone. This should pass after she goes off the steroid. It's good that she is eating and drinking, and I would continue to monitor her. I hope this helps!

She is on a lot of meds and probably still not completely out of the woods yet. Medications such as ondansetron can also be a little sedating for dogs as well. It would be hard to put an exact timeline on when she'll be better, but energy should gradually return as she begins to eat more, and her body finishes fighting what is making her ill.

Hi, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry Titan is not himself. You didn't say why Titan is on medications, it may be that his sleepiness is due to his primary problem. Sedation is not typically a side effect of either cephalexin or prednisone. Be sure that he hasn't gotten into any other medications or toxins. If he is able to be awakened and has a normal response to calling his name, eating, drinking and normal urination and defecation he may just be tired out. If he is not responsive or sluggish to respond, then I recommend an emergency vet tonight to rule out an serious problems. I hope Titan is back to normal soon.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Being tired and thirsty can be linked to the prednisone. Prednisone specifically should not be discontinued abruptly and needs to be tapered slowly. The tapering of the prednisone has to be done carefully and calculated based on the weight of the patient. I recommend you check in with your veterinarian who prescribed the prednisone for the tapering schedule for it as they have all the information they need for this. They can also advice on the other medication. Best of luck!

Yes, this is normal for steroids to cause these changes in behavior. You will also likely notice that he eats more, drinks more and needs to urinate more. This is all normal and he will be back to normal after the medication is finished. Below is a link to more information about the side effects of steroids in dogs. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/steroid-treatment-long-term-effects-in-dogs I hope that helps and all is well with Pugsley.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The picture I am seeing does not show much evidence of infection but of course take her in first thing in the morning to have someone evaluate in person. There is not a whole lot I would recommend doing tonight. If the area seems painful you can wrap an ice pack in a thin cloth or paper towel and ice the area for 5-10 minutes. That bandage should probably be changed every 24-48 hours so if that has not been done I would do that if possible. If not, consider leaving it off overnight if she won’t scratch at it. The prednisone is very unlikely to be the culprit of any of the signs you are seeing. Best of luck to you and Lupita.

Yes, steroids can cause a general loss of energy as a side effect, but I would keep an eye on Bonnie for now. If she continues to be very lethargic or shows other signs such as vomiting, anorexia, or muscle tremors, I would have her seen by a vet immediately.