Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Side effects of short-term prednisone use in dogs
By Gober, Margaret & Hillier, Andrew·Published in BMC veterinary research·2023·Zoetis LLC, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Perception and usage of short-term prednisone and prednisolone in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 45 dogs was given short-term doses of prednisone or prednisolone, a type of steroid, to reduce inflammation. By day 5, 74% of the owners noticed changes in their dogs' behavior, such as increased thirst, urination, and appetite. By day 14, this number rose to 90%, with many owners reporting that their dogs were drinking more water and having accidents in the house. Despite these side effects, most owners were satisfied with the treatment's effectiveness and indicated they would consider a more expensive option if it had fewer side effects.
People also search for: dog prednisone side effects · dog increased thirst urination · prednisone behavior changes in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Corticosteroids are widely used with low rates of reported side effects and a broad level of comfort in the hands of most veterinarians. With a low side effect reporting level of < 5% and high level of comfort there may be complacency and underestimation of the impact side effects of corticosteroids may have on a pet and pet owner. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this clinical study was to describe the experience and perception of an owner who administered anti-inflammatory doses of oral prednisolone and prednisone to their dog for up to 14 days. We hypothesized dogs receiving anti-inflammatory doses of prednisone and prednisolone would experience much greater rates of side effects by day 14 then reported in current literature. ANIMALS: There were 45 dogs initially enrolled in the study. RESULTS: At each study point, 31 owners provided results. On day 5, 74% (23/31) reported at least 1 change in their dog's behavior including polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia, polypnea and/or increased vocalization, with 11 individuals (35%) reporting these changes greatly increased. On day 14, 90% of owners (28/31) reported at least 1 change in their dog's behavior including polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia, and/or polypnea as the most common changes noted. Overall, 61% (19/31) of owners reported an increase in filling of the water bowl over baseline and one-third (11/31) of pet owners reported cleaning up urinary accidents for pets who had been continent prior to the start of the study. Pet owner steroid satisfaction remained high through day 14 at 4.5/5 (1 = very unsatisfied, 5 = very satisfied). CONCLUSION: This study highlights the impact short term anti-inflammatory doses of prednisone or prednisolone have on dog behaviour and confirms our hypothesis that by day 14, 90% of dogs experienced one or more behaviour changes, with polyuria and polydipsia most commonly reported. Adverse events were noted regardless of starting dosage or regimen. Although most pet owners expressed satisfaction with steroid treatment due to its high efficacy, 70% would select a more costly treatment if that treatment had fewer side effects.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37488543/