Prednisolone side affects?

A quick google came up with far too many scare stories for my liking so thought I'd ask sensible people with experience for any info they have. Obviously dog meds don't come with a PIL and I only know about the standard steroid side effects so does anyone have knowledge about depression as one? Griffin has been on them for a week tomorrow and for the first few days was bright and bubbly and getting back to normal but over the weekend has gone downhill again. He's got diarrhoea but with the increased appetite and thirst I was expecting as well as general lethargy and stroppiness with Chester, he's growled at him a few time guarding various things.
The pred dose is to be decreased after a week but he's on them for six months so wondered if anyone had any experience of longer term side effects, will they die down or am I likely to need to spend the forseeable future on the sofa overnight so I can let him out to prevent accidents, he's so clean it really distresses him that he has to go in the house. His dose is high to combat the meningitis, currently it's 50mg twice a day to be reduced to 25mg twice a day tomorrow and he's on ranitidine to prevent any stomach damage. There's no question of discontinuing them but the length of the course is still to be determined depending on results of tests they'll do in a couple of months time. Any help you can send my way would be massively appreciated!!

Hi Jessi. Poor Griffin......

I'm afraid my only use of Preds was short-term for Len's hot spots (which they fixed but which come back the minute I stop the meds).

Just the usual eating and drinking, and consequently peeing for England to report - stuff you already know about.

Sorry hon - hope Griffin gets well soon.....

x0x

Ollie wasn't on them too long because of the obvious. He did get depressed but bounced back a day or two later. Excessive thirst which you know about. Losing control of the bladder while sleeping the sphincter(sp) muscle loses control and weakens. Ollie would wet or dribble pee while asleep.

I had a single mattress cover (waterproof) which went over his quilt then all I hd to do was wash the quilt cover and wipe down the matress cover. I always have old spare quilt covers so they went in the tumble dryer as it was December and January.

Good luck with Griffin.

I am on them myself at the moment 40mg a day and have been for 10 days and will be for another 2-3 weeks. I feel constantly hungrey and yet light headed dizzy and wobbly. I was very thirsty too start with but thats better now although I am weeing much more and more frequently.
Not sure if dogs feel the same as us but if they do its not nice.

My dog has just finished steroids after a year and a half. He had been taken them for a severe allergy to dust mites. The only side effects are the ones that you have mentioned. He did not seem depressed whilst on them, his appetite did increase as did his water intake. The only thing I noticed was he started guarding food against my other dog, which resulted in fighting between them. TBH he seems more depressed now his off steroids but I think that is because he has developed arthritis and the steroids were masking that fact. He cannot have steroids at present as he has dermodex mites, steroids feed the mites.

HTH

My collie has been on them for 5 years. He has between 10 to 15 mg a day. He has leukemia and they combat the effects of it brilliantly well. Initially there was the increased thirst which led to accidents indoors but this has stabilised over the years. He is very hungry still, manic about his food but I think after 5 years this won't change. There has been muscle wastage too, but given he is 15 now, it's hard to tell whether it's old age or the steroids now.

Overall they have improved and lengthened Dylan's life. He is the same crazy, off the wall collie that he was before diagnosis.

a bitch of mines been on them, on and off them for 8years now, can't say i've noticed any side effects apart from occasionally needing to pee more.

Shila is on 2.5mg a day reduced from 15mg a day.
When she was on the higher dosage her behaviour was very odd, she was very quiet and got tired out easily with 10 days she was reduced and her normal mental tigger behaviour reappeared.

The only side effect she still has is her food issue, she is a very foody dog anyway but being on steriods she clearly feels her throat has been cut x

Toby was on 30mg a day when he came out of hospital. He has lost a lot of muscle but luckily he's managed to stay in control of his toileting. He's been on them since July and we have just gone down to 5mg every other day. He has azathioprine on alternate days and zantac twice a day (ranitidine). His appetite is still high but much more controllable now. It started to improve once we dropped below 20mg. We've been on 10mg every other day for a month now and i think he might be gaining some of his muscle back and his weight is more controlled. He has been more clingy but i thought that was because he was 'abandoned' in hospital for 10days. Hadn't considered it could be the meds

My 10 year old Beagle just started 15 mgs twice a day. This goes on for 5 days and then we start tapering off. The first night he pooped in the house. Since then, the only thing I've noticed is drinking lots of water and doing lots of urinating.