Many doubts arise when administering any medication to your dog, right? Surely your furry is one of the most important things in your life and you want the best for him or her, without causing any harm. Therefore, you do not have to self-medicate your little one, you just have to medicate according to the instructions of the veterinarian.
In this OneHOWTO article we will talk about prednisone for dogs: what it is, what it is for, dosage and side effects . This is a very common drug that is used to treat conditions that cause inflammation and problems with the immune system, so keep reading if you want to know more about this widely used drug.
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Index
- What is prednisone for dogs
- What is prednisone used for in dogs
- Prednisone Dosage in Dogs
- Side Effects and Contraindications of Prednisone in Dogs
What is prednisone for dogs
Prednisone or prednisolone is a drug from the corticosteroid line . This medication works by canceling any reaction where the immune system acts against itself, which is why it is said to have an immunosuppressive effect.
It also works by suppressing the inflammatory response to a wide variety of agents capable of causing this process. Prednisone can also help relieve itchy skin, redness and swelling caused by allergies. This drug is sold by tablets.
What is prednisone used for in dogs
As we have mentioned before, prednisone is used against inflammatory processes and diseases of the immune system. Due to its anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive action , prednisone for dogs is currently used against several processes, among which the following stand out:
- Prednisone for dogs with allergies:in the face of an allergy, the immune system reacts against some non-pathogenic factor, such as pollen, dust, etc., so prednisone will suppress this activity, canceling the symptoms in turn. If this is the case of your furry, here we tell you How to take care of a dog with allergies .
- Prednisone for dogs with autoimmune diseases:if there is a disease for which the symptoms are occurring, such as any disease of the immune system, the action of prednisone will be the same, canceling the symptoms but not curing the disease. The same happens with autoimmune hemolytic anemia, where the same immune system is responsible for destroying red blood cells. Prednisone will cancel this process but it will not end the disease, but the veterinarian will surely prescribe other medications or a specific type of treatment depending on the problem.
- Prednisone for dogs with tumors:it is usually used against chemotherapy treatments but always combining other types of drugs.
- Prednisone for Addison’s syndrome in dogs:due to this disease, the dog suffers from a decrease in the production of glucocorticoids, which can be solved with this drug. In this other OneHOWTO article we talk about the Symptoms of Addison’s disease and other aspects of it.
- Prednisone or prednisolone for asthma in dogs:asthma is a reaction that occurs in the dog due to irritating factors in the environment and consequently an inflammation appears in the airways. Because of this, this drug can help reduce asthma attacks in dogs .
- Prednisone for kidney disease:when the dog has inflamed kidneys, prednisone is usually a medication of choice to help reduce inflammation, but always monitoring the dog to see if it has an effect or not, since administered long-term it could be harmful.
Prednisone Dosage in Dogs
Prednisone is a drug that can produce side effects which can harm your dog’s health, which is why it is so important that the veterinarian prescribes it for you and controls the dose to be given, the form of administration and of the recovery process.
Depending on the disease and the weight of the dog, one dose or another will be administered, always being the minimum effective dose. The usual dose of prednisone for dogs is between 0.5 – 4 mg per kg of dog weight. If the administration is prolonged for 7 days, the dog should stop taking it little by little, giving it on alternate days or reducing the dose, if this is not done, serious problems could appear.
Side Effects and Contraindications of Prednisone in Dogs
To finish this informative article on the use of prednisolone or prednisone in dogs , we mention the possible side effects and contraindications that this medication may have:
side effects of prednisone
Prednisone can cause side effects if it is taken for more than two or three days, so you should watch your faithful friend and go quickly to the vet if you see any of these symptoms:
- Increased desire to eat and drink.
- Delayed wound healing.
- Polydipsia (increased need to drink fluids).
- Difficulty breathing.
These symptoms usually stop at the end of treatment, but that is not why you should ignore them.
Prednisone Contraindications
On the other hand, there are a number of contraindications that you must take into account:
- It should not be used in pregnant bitches, as it can cause malformations in the fetus and unwanted abortions.
- If the dog has diabetes, gastrointestinal ulcers, or heart problems, prednisone should not be given. So keep the vet informed of all the problems your dog has.
- If your dog is lactating, it will be the veterinarian who will advise this medication or the opposite.
- It is not recommended to vaccinate the dog at the same time that it is taking prednisone.
