Steroids can be super helpful when your dog is dealing with certain health issues. In fact, there are many different types of steroids your vet could prescribe depending on your pup’s diagnosis.
Prednisone is a type of steroid (a synthetic corticosteroid, to be exact) that’s commonly prescribed to treat a ton of different ailments. It’s generally a safe medication to give your pup, but keep in mind that it does come with some side effects.
We spoke with Dr. Hilary Jones, veterinarian and chief veterinary officer at DodoVet, for more information on why prednisone can be prescribed to your dog and the importance of following your veterinarian’s dosage instructions.
What is prednisone for dogs used for?
Steroids like prednisone are most often used to reduce inflammation in your dog and regulate his immune system.
“It’s often used in gastrointestinal diseases like [inflammatory bowel disease], allergic skin diseases, inflammatory airway diseases like asthma, autoimmune diseases, and even certain cancers,” Dr. Jones told The Dodo. “How effective prednisone will be is based on dosing, duration and frequency of administration.”
Your veterinarian will decide how much, how often and how long your dog should be on prednisone based on what they want to achieve with the steroids (reduce inflammation or suppress the immune system) and how your dog is responding to treatment.
It’s important to note that synthetic corticosteroids are a type of hormone secreted by the adrenal gland, which affects all organ systems in the body and can result in side effects for some pups.
“However, since steroids do influence so many organ systems, not all pets will respond the same way to the medication,” Dr. Jones said.
Side effects of prednisone for dogs
While prednisone for dogs is safe to use and can be very helpful for a variety of conditions, the steroid can also come with some side effects. Whether your dog will experience side effects of prednisone is a little hard to say, unfortunately.
“Some dogs are super sensitive, and others are not,” Dr. Jones said. “In general, we do find that the higher the dose of steroids used, the more likely we are to see side effects.”
Short-term side effects of prednisone include:
Long-term side effects of prednisone include:
Because of the variety of side effects and risks, it’s always important to follow the directions exactly as written by the prescribing veterinarian.
“There may also be some routine monitoring and bloodwork for your pet while taking this medication,” Dr. Jones added.
As with any medication, it’s important to chat first with your veterinarian. You’ll want to make sure you have a clear understanding of the ways prednisone can be beneficial in treating your dog’s condition, its side effects and the risks involved, as well as the instructions for dosage.
