donski Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 My 3 yo mini bull terrier has been diagnosed with solar blepharoconjunctivitis. Basically his non-pigmented is allergic to the sun and has chronic conjunctivitis. After 6 months of different drops to no avail, the doggie opthamologist has put him on Solone 25mg or Prednisolone - a corticosteriod. Reading the leaflet I'm a bit alarmed at all the side effects associated with the drug. My dog has been on them for 2 days only but is already completely lethargic. I have a followup appointment in 2 days time, but in the meantime I'm curious to learn of anyone else's experiences with the drug? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackieW Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 Not good for my old boy. He was about 32 kg and started on 20 mg/day for insulinoma symptoms and immediately got hungry, thirsty and peed more. That tapered off fairly quickly though. He was on Pred for about 14 months and had skin and coat problems and muscle weakness. In the end the Pred wasn't controlling his blood glucose either. Is your dog supposed to be on it short term or long term? My GP vet told me he'd had a small dog on it for years for IBD or something, and he had none of the side effects that Jamie did, so I guess it can affect dogs differently. Very important if you're going off Pred to reduce it very slowly rather than stopping it suddenly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vehs Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 Not good here either - luckily there was an ($$) alternative for my boy but he was a completely different dog for the few days he was on them very 'sad' (it was heartbreaking)... and thirsty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dxenion Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 We have it on standby for food allergy reactions. I try to use it for the shortest possible time (<3 days) and haven't noticed any change in water intake or a lethargic response, but they are pretty chilled to start with. One of ours has been taking it on and off for the last 3 1/2 years and he's 4 1/2 now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kayla1 Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 My old boy is on pred for spinal problems and it's working well for him. He does have some side effects such as drinking more, peeing more often. Also was quite restless for the first few days but that seemed to settle after a while (not sure whether that was pain related though). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curlygirl Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 You could ask your vet about Prednefrin Forte eye drops. These contain cortisone by just go in the eye, not systemically like the tablets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meea Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 I hv had great results with pred and my girls allergies but like with people it requires management. Speak with your vet. Meea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danois Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 Made a huge difference for my boy for 9 months - he was on a daily dose of varying strengths and at the lowest dose, it was minimal for a dog his size. I did not see any lethargy from memory nor an increased appetite. He was drinking a little more. After long term use he had some muscle wastage in the head and a little pot belly! People appear irrationally scared of cortisone but it is a very effective drug when used correctly - which includes tapering doses but it must be used strictly as directed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bianca.a Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 My girl was on them (tapered dose) for about 3 weeks, the only side effects she had was increased appetite. She has never been a bench surfer/rubbish bin raider but she was while on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyCresties Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 My Siamese has been on them for months now for allergic asthma. Certainly an increase in appetite but as she was suffering from awful hacking coughing fits, I'm happy to trade some potential side effects for her ability to breath! Speak to your vet, but it's always worth considering their quality of life on the drugs, even with side effects, vs not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam the man Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 You could ask your vet about Prednefrin Forte eye drops. These contain cortisone by just go in the eye, not systemically like the tablets. One of our dogs is on these eyedrops for uveitis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skruffy n Flea Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 oh, your poor wee boy --- i hope the treatment he receives serves him well... Made a huge difference for my boy for 9 months - he was on a daily dose of varying strengths and at the lowest dose, it was minimal for a dog his size. I did not see any lethargy from memory nor an increased appetite. He was drinking a little more. After long term use he had some muscle wastage in the head and a little pot belly! People appear irrationally scared of cortisone but it is a very effective drug when used correctly - which includes tapering doses but it must be used strictly as directed. i agree here... with all i'd read about pred, i'd developed an irrational fear of it, but with the right advice and following it to the letter, i found there was no basis for worry :) my boy developed a bacterial infection on his back feet and he was put on a 6-week course of abs along with an 8-week course of pred to counter the itching... his thirst increased, as did his appetite [which was wonderful because he's a lingerer], but i kept his portions and treats at the usual level --- i didn't notice any lethargy but i could tell when he was *feeling good* [a very cute lopsided *yoda* expression] but srsly, when using pred, you must wean your pet slowly, tapering the dose until your pet's system easily copes without it --- for byron, he was on a full tab [i don't recall off hand the mg level] for the first 5 or so days and then, he was given a half tab every day for a week, and then a half tab every 2nd day, and then a half tab every 3rd day and so on. that progression continued 'til 2 weeks beyond the completion of his abs at which time i stopped giving him pred [and his food lingering returned *sigh*] i found pred to be an effective drug for byron's needs at the time and i wish you the best of luck with your boy and his condition :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mason_Gibbs Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 My allergy dog is on it, he only takes 2,5mg a day which is a tiny amount for a 33kg dog. His fur growth cycle has been interrupted by the pred but all blood tests are normal I get him checked 1x a year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donski Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Thanks all. We did try the pred eye drops, but they didn't work. His eye is a little better which is great after so long. There's no apparent thirst or appetite change but the lethargy is marked. Is it totally horrible to admit I'm loving the peace and quiet a little! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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