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question about prednisone
question about prednisone
Sent by Goldie_girl 11 hours
Hi. My parent's dachshund Sam had a rash on his rear end. The vet put him on prednisone and my mom gave him a bath every other night with soap to help his rash. His rash got better, but then he drank a lot and vomited(the vet thought it was a fungus from the ground or something like that; the rash I mean). So he was taken off the prednisone, but when the label was printed off, it was the wrong instructions and he was taken off too quickly. He acted like himself, except for drinking a lot, before he was taken off the prednisone. That was when he vomited and was lethargic. He was taken to the vet and he had a high glucose levels and his kidney and liver levels were messed up. But he urinated so then we prayed for him to eat. He was 14. He then had a seisure, was unresponsive and breathing heavily. My dad then had to make the decision. The vet said he may have had a blood vessel in his brain burst (I can't remember the term). My mom and I thought being taken off the prednisone killed him. Nothing can be done but maybe it would bring closure? He was our baby. My name is Elizabeth by the way. Any feedback would be really appreciated. Thank you and take care.
Sent by Goldie_girl 11 hours
Hi. My parent's dachshund Sam had a rash on his rear end. The vet put him on prednisone and my mom gave him a bath every other night with soap to help his rash. His rash got better, but then he drank a lot and vomited(the vet thought it was a fungus from the ground or something like that; the rash I mean). So he was taken off the prednisone, but when the label was printed off, it was the wrong instructions and he was taken off too quickly. He acted like himself, except for drinking a lot, before he was taken off the prednisone. That was when he vomited and was lethargic. He was taken to the vet and he had a high glucose levels and his kidney and liver levels were messed up. But he urinated so then we prayed for him to eat. He was 14. He then had a seisure, was unresponsive and breathing heavily. My dad then had to make the decision. The vet said he may have had a blood vessel in his brain burst (I can't remember the term). My mom and I thought being taken off the prednisone killed him. Nothing can be done but maybe it would bring closure? He was our baby. My name is Elizabeth by the way. Any feedback would be really appreciated. Thank you and take care.
Hi Lynne. Sounds like a curious mix of symptoms, but I'm thinking there may have been several things going on there, including the possibility of diabetes (seizures are not uncommon in seriously ill diabetic dogs). Diabetes can also affect both the liver and more so the kidneys over a period of time and when maybe the symptoms haven't been obvious, therefore appropriate treatment isn't given early enough.
The reverse can also be the case ... that is, the kidneys may have been affected first, which then caused the glucose levels to rise. Cushings Disease is another possibility. A tumor called glucagonoma can also cause similar [problems, though this form of cancer is actually very rare in dogs.
The increased drinking is a marker for prednisolone, as it is a common side effect, however kidney disease can also cause this (as many of us know). With prolonged use, prednisolone can cause both Cushings and/or Diabetes, so it should not be prescribed over a long period.
I am very concerned your vet stopped the prednisone suddenly, as this could have caused the dog to become seriously and potentially fatally ill. Prednisilone should never be stopped abruptly. It should be slowly tapered off, generally over several weeks. Hyperadrenocorticism (Cushings Disease) can be caused by an abrupt stoppage of the drug.
The only way of finding out is through having a necropsy performed, though this in itself can be traumatising for owners, as well as being expensive, so they may not want to go down this route.
Finally, it is of course possible that the dog did indeed have a blood vessel burst in his brain - but personally, I don't think this is what happened. I am rather more inclined to think there was an underlying illness, which was then further complicated by the prednisolone being stopped suddenly.
Tony
The reverse can also be the case ... that is, the kidneys may have been affected first, which then caused the glucose levels to rise. Cushings Disease is another possibility. A tumor called glucagonoma can also cause similar [problems, though this form of cancer is actually very rare in dogs.
The increased drinking is a marker for prednisolone, as it is a common side effect, however kidney disease can also cause this (as many of us know). With prolonged use, prednisolone can cause both Cushings and/or Diabetes, so it should not be prescribed over a long period.
I am very concerned your vet stopped the prednisone suddenly, as this could have caused the dog to become seriously and potentially fatally ill. Prednisilone should never be stopped abruptly. It should be slowly tapered off, generally over several weeks. Hyperadrenocorticism (Cushings Disease) can be caused by an abrupt stoppage of the drug.
The only way of finding out is through having a necropsy performed, though this in itself can be traumatising for owners, as well as being expensive, so they may not want to go down this route.
Finally, it is of course possible that the dog did indeed have a blood vessel burst in his brain - but personally, I don't think this is what happened. I am rather more inclined to think there was an underlying illness, which was then further complicated by the prednisolone being stopped suddenly.
Tony
Hey Tony!
This message was in my email from Med Help. Possibly an older response from another forum (?) I would hate to see it get lost in MedHelp Cyberspace
Hope you can help Elizabeth!
My very best to You and your Family!!
Fondly,
Lynne and Darbie:)
This message was in my email from Med Help. Possibly an older response from another forum (?) I would hate to see it get lost in MedHelp Cyberspace
Hope you can help Elizabeth!
My very best to You and your Family!!
Fondly,
Lynne and Darbie:)
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