dog's medication

[anchor man]

My 1 yr old yellow lab has inflammatory bowel disease which will require her to be on prednizone for the rest of her life. Does anyone know of any of the long term affects this drug may have on dogs? My vet didn't seemed too concerned, but was wondering if anyone else has a similar issue.

[danny berg]

#1 get a second opinion, that doesn't sound right, giving an steroid for an inflamation.

#2 I know in humans ( atleast the 2 I know that are on the same Med.) they gain a lot of weight if they don't exercise more than normal. As far as long term, I don't really know. I bet if you did a search on the internet, on the med, you can find a lot of information .

[LABS4ME]

Prednizone is used all the time for inflammatory disorders. Generally accepted as safe if given in low doses. As far as long term... that's painting a broad spectrum. What dose, how often etc. etc. You should probably have liver enzyme levels checked at least every 6 months to make sure there isn't a negative impact on the dog. It wouldn't hurt to get asecond opinion. Make an appt. with Dr. Fran Smith (Smith Veterinary Clinic) in Burnsville. She's one of the country's top lab producers and knows the breed inside and out, and is one of the most respected vet's in the state.

On a side note, my son was on prednisone for 3 years with no side effects what-so-ever. He was also on another steroid for 8 weeks, and while it was a miracle how he reacted to it, that is the maximum amount of time allowed on that certain steroid.

Good luck! Hope it works out!

Ken

[bigdog]

I had a lab on prednisone for about a year while we fought cancer. It caused him to drink a lot more water than normal, but luckily no weight gain. As mentioned above you do have to watch the liver function. Have not heard of this being used for inflamatory bowel before, would expect there would be a recomendation for diet change as well. If you have unanswered questions you can always request a referral to the U.

[big drift]

I would have to agree with the others. Prednizone is a very good anti inflamatory and weight is a concern especially in older dogs. I had two that were on it and the one was semi retired so the weight gain was a large issue. My other lab we still ran and hunted but also had to develop a training program and diet change to manage the weight contact a reliable vet or trainer and they can help you out we used Tom Dokken of Northfeild.