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My lab mix duke is 11 years old and he has Addison’s disease, which is a condition that requires him to be frequently medicated with corticosteroids such as prednisone, dexamethasone, or Percorten. When he was diagnosed about a year ago we thought we were going to lose him, but as soon as he started on this regimen of steroids he seemed to right away get better: his energy increased, his coat was shinier, and I thought to myself that he has never looked or acted better even when he was younger. As a pharmacist I know that corticosteroids used long-term could potentially have some very troubling side effects and considering that it’s been a year considering that duke started his first dose of prednisone, I made a decision to write this blog to describe how he’s doing on the medication.
The first adverse effect that we saw nearly right away was an increase in urination, which was to be expected considering that this seems to be the most common adverse effect in dogs. The excess urination was not such a substantial problem other than creating a little inconvenience having to walk him two extra times each day. excessive thirst was also observed nearly ideal away.
After about two months on the prednisone, duke started getting an excessive amount of weight. carrying extra weight is not optimal for older dogs considering that it adds additional anxiety on the joints and also causes a lot more anxiety on the cardiovascular system. Diabetes is also observed a lot more frequently in family pets that are above their optimal weight and is also an additional risk of corticosteroid therapy. I realized that it was a lot more crucial than ever to restrict Duke’s food intake. The difficulty we encountered was with the fact that we have another dog, Daisy, and they always eat together. The only way this was going to work appropriately was to alter their eating routines and start feeding them separately, not leaving any food around for them to “graze” on throughout the day, and keeping snacks to a minimum.
With gratitude in my heart I say that the first year for duke on corticosteroids has not been too terrible. Duke’s adverse effects did cause a little bit of discomfort and inconvenience but have been quite manageable. The reason I feel such gratitude (not the only reason but one of them) is that corticosteroid therapy has the potential to cause lots of severe side effects that we thankfully have not experienced with Duke. The other good news is that the veterinarian informed us that, depending upon how duke is doing, there is a chance that soon the corticosteroid dose may be cut in half or discontinued.
Although duke was lucky for only experiencing some relatively mild adverse effects, often short-term or long-term use of corticosteroids can cause other adverse effects. lots of family pets on this class of medication often begin experiencing muscle weakness, vomiting, thinning of the skin, behavioral changes, and changes in sleep habits. other side effects that may occur include the development of cataracts, glaucoma, and diabetes. Side effects to corticosteroids can be numerous, and if your pet experiences any of these effects, it is crucial to contact the veterinarian to go over them.
As always, if you suspect anything may be wrong with your pet, it is best to call and schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. a lot of conditions if detected and treated early can be managed a lot more easily, and the anxiety as well as the costs can be kept lower also. If you have any pet medication related questions, please feel complimentary to contact your 1800PetMeds Pharmacist who will be a lot more than delighted to help answer those for you.