Dog with severe allergic reaction and taking Prednisone

Hey I have a dog who is 4 years old and her name is Prissy and she has been having vomiting and diarrhea all week, she has inflammatory bowel disease and pancreatic insufficiency so I thought that was acting up but yesterday her eyes started swelling and her face and I been noticing for a while her eyes would run water and she would act like she couldnt see very good especially when she went outside and now her fur on her neck and other areas is coming off and she been scratching alot so I carried her to the vet yesterday and he took some tests and said she had a bad allergic reaction, she is allergic to chicken, eggs,dairy products, grain,she is also allergic to grass and beef and lamb so the vet put her on royal canin analallegenic food. The vet also put her on Prednisone and tylan she has SIBO and she is on metroniodazole and gave her a vitamin B12 shot, her skin looks really bad it is red and her fur is coming off. I didnt really want her on Prednisone, I heard people say it isnt very good for dogs but if it will help her I am willing to try it. Does Prednisone make them not have energy, she will not even get up and walk any, which she has been really tired lately and hasnt been playing much, now she is just sleeping all the time except she will wake up for a few minutes and cry and scratch and then she goes back asleep. How long is Prednisone usually used for in a dog and has anybody ever used Royal canin anallergenic food. The vet said her inflaamtory bowel disease is flaring up be also said that a allergic reaction can cause diarrhea and vomiting.

Duncan was on it for 5 years of his life it did shorten his life (he just died recently at 9) but would his life have been better with out it ? No I don't think it would have been short and comfortable or long and miserable was the choice.

It made him hungry though hungry all the time and he would eat anything poo being his favourite. So it had it's drawbacks. Never noticed a lack of energy in fact he was more energetic as he could sleep without scratching and didn't wear himself out scratching all day.

I have got a 13 & half year old dog on long term low dose predniselone so it hasnt shortened his life...!!!

It usually makes them ravenously hungry, more thirsty and wee more. It gives them a feeling of well being and they seem more active and energetic. So I suspect the symtoms are in relation to something else.

Just think how you would feel if you were constanly hot and itchy and it never goes away - you'd be really depressed.

Preds are a good, cheap alternative to Atopica. They are usually started at a 'high' dose for a few days then gradually tapering off as the symptoms alleviate. If they work then I would go with them to give your poor dog a better quality of life.

Hope she is feeling better soon.

Thalice's Mum

Yes getting the dose as low as you can is best, sadly Duncan needed a higher dose as his grass allergy was really bad and flared up from time to time.

you might ask the vet if you can give her benadryl for the redness and itching. worked for one of my dogs that had a flea allergy.

My 3 year old golden retriever Lola has pleural efussion and after loads of tests came to the sad conclusion she has cancer even though all the tests did'nt show any tumors.
In september she was put on prednisolone 25mg and fusecare 10mg. The vet said usually they wouldnt keep her on prednisolone so long due to long term use causing blood clots but in her case it was keeping her comfortable.
She does suffer extreme hunger and does drink more than normal but considering there is nothing more they can do for her and she is comfortable im happy to keep her on them.
Good luck and i hope your dog feels better soon.

I had a dog on it for the last few years of his life he had severe adverse reactions to various meat proteins and house dust mites, he was tried on Atopica but this caused seizures, whilst on the steroids he had 6 monthly blood tests to check his organs and they were always clear, better a shorter life with quality than a miserable longer one

I don't have any experience with a dog on prednislone but I do have two cats on it one has been on it for years for ashtma but came off for a year or two and has just gone back on because he is having problems absorbing food. he is 15 and will be 16 this year. His sister is also on it she has got a flea allergy and IBD but both seem quite perky but very hungry and they drink alot so make sur ethere is plenty of water around as I ound between them they could sometime drink a whole bowl in a day so i now have two water bowls in the room they are in just to make sur ethey never run out.

I think it is a question of quality of life and Tilly couldn't sit still for 2 minutes before the pred because she was constantly itching and gropoming trying to sooth herself. Now she is better. Still itches some times but isn't so manic about it. She is royal canin sensitivity control and feline d/d which seem to work well for her she has a lovely glossy coat and seem to be happy with life.

Buster sem to be asorbign food much better now and is on royal canin gastrointestinal which seem to suit him.

I think it is just a case of trying to keep p[rednislone as low as you can whilst maintianing the quality of life for you dog.

As I am sure she would rather not itch than live much longer.

Ndidi