my bitch was put on steroids by the vet hospital. she was only on two days and had gastric bleeding. vet school go in touch with my own vet to ask them to give prescription for Zitac & Antepsin. question is, how long should she be on this? for the duration of the steroids? or for the weeks of tabs my vet has given her? appreciate feedback. thanks.
 

Think you need to address this question to the vet, we may be very wrong because we are not aware of the full story nor are most of us qualified.

Edited to add I am sorry to hear you have such a poorly bitch and hope all is well soon.

I would keep on the Zantac/Antepsin for the duration off the medication shes on, won't do her any harm.
My Dane gets it daily after bloating 2 years ago.

Thanks, Fiona, that is my feeling also.

another question.
Has anyone found lethargy almost like a depression while their dog is on high dose of steroids? my friend who was a nurse told me she thought it would have the opp effect in that they would make a dog a bit hyper.

Had a xbreed some years ago who was put on steroids due to a major skin irritation - back when we thought vets knew everything- later found by US to be food related.
I have never seen such a miserable unhappy dog :-( This started within a week of starting the tablets and he totally lost interest in everything. he also put on major weight despite cutting down food ration - think blimp with 4 sticks supporting it and this was a pointer x whippet
this all developed over about 3-4 weeks. Stopped the steroids, experimented with other foods and got our happy-chappie back :-)
Chris

Hi tadog,

it's worrying that a vet hospital would prescribe steroids, particularly in high doses, without routinely prescribing something like antepsin at the same time.  The stomach needs to be lined or what happened with your dog is inevitable :-(
Use the antacid meds throughout the course of steroids and discuss with vet the possibility of continuing with them for a period when steroids have been weaned off (and they should be weaned off gradually, not stopped overnight).

High dose / long-term steroid use can cause dogs to seem depressed, whether this is actually a state of mind or them feeling physically unwell is debatable.  Steroids used for anti-inflammatory purposes are cortico's and actually have the opposite effect of anabolic steroids (anabolics being those associated with body builders etc).  Over time cortico steroids in long term use or in high doses cause the muscles to decrease in volume rather than increase and weight loss is common, often quite severe.  Depending on the reason the dog is on steroids and any other meds being used at the same time, increased appetite is not a foregone conclusion - certainly not in dogs being treated for GI problems for example.  If their use is for a skin disorder then yes, it is likely an appetite increase will be noted and weight management required, but this is not set in stone. 

Personally for a skin condition or similar I would want tests done to find the cause and remove the problem rather than mask it with meds but for many other disorders steroids are life saving drugs and shouldn't be dismissed off-hand as always a bad move

I hope your dog makes a full and speedy recovery.  Discuss your concerns with your vet/specialist - you have a right and need to know what is being prescribed and why and also the immediate and long-term prognosis.

best wishes, Teri

Teri thankyou so much for your very informative reply.

Even more worrying is that the vet hospital knew my girl was on Metacam, however failed to advise me NOT to give to her when she was on the steroids.  two days on the steroids and she had gastric bleeding, hope not to do with the metacam as she was off this for two days.   the reason she is on steroids is due to a verve root immflamation in her neck. 

Even the experts make mistakes, they're human, but I'd be having firm words with them (then again I'm not the shy retiring type when it comes to my dogs LOL)

Please God she's on the mend soon, pretzel position duly assumed :-)
Teri

two weks on the steroids now, the thirst took effect almost straight away, strange thing is that the ravenous hunger didnt start until she was on steroids about ten days, which makes me wonder if the steroids didnt start to work on her problem until very recently, dooes anyone have any experience of the time scales?

Teri, if dog was to have weightlos due to steroids would this be within a weekor two of takine the steroids? or would it take time, also do you think once does starts to reduce the weight should return?

There are different types of steriod tablets available and they have varying effects. I am devastated that a vet could prescribe steriods when your dog is on metacam!! Sometimes I think I'm glad I'm no longer a vet nurse!!

Some of the steriods have a much more subtle effect on the situation eg medrone seemed to have a slower effect, whereas prednislone was like a sledge hammer on a acorn with some dogs. Raging thirst, appetite, exercise levels through the roof, toileting out the window. Behavioural issues can occur with either but I would contact your "vet" again and double check about the weight loss. If you are at all unhappy with the treatment seek a second opinion as this is private health care and I wouldn't pay for bad advice.

 

thanks happyhound. it is prednislone my girl is on and has done exactly what you described. sadly i have said all along that i fel that there was something sinister going on. when we went to the vet hospital they did mri of neck but not shoulder which was where I felt prob was. mri came back that my girl had immflamation of two root nerves, and this is why she is one the steroids. but they did i fear miss what i had thought, something in the shoulder. thankfully she is starting to reduce the steroids in two days.

I have never known of weight loss on steroids,usually weight gain due to increased appetite and fluid retention.

In humans these days steroid use tends to be for short term use and then weaned off slowly or on a very low maintainance dose to avoid the side effects of the drugs.

I hope the steroids have done their job.

My little girl has been on pred since Friday for chronic ear infections and closed ear canal. We were given pain-killing tabs as our vet told us she couldn't have metacam because of the steroids. She was on a high dose for 3 days, but now the dose is halved. Within 1 day, she was literally peeing everywhere, even dribbling where she stood, with no awareness of it. The raging apetite didn't kick in until yesterday - day 4. Within 1 day all head shaking, ear rubbing and scratching was gone - her breathing improved too - she's a bit of a noisy breather  (Frenchie) She has another week to go on this course  to see if any swelling has gone. For the first couple of days she did seem a little quiet, but is back to herself and no more hyper than usual :-)

four weeks on very high steroids, now she starts to reduce them. spoke to the vet hospital yesterday. seemingly the steroids have various effects on diff dogs, and due to the high dose my bitch is on they say the weight loss is normal, from head moulding mussel around spine ect. i hope they are right as she lost 1k in four weeks.

Hi Tadog - just caught up with this thread - my girl was on high dose steroids for an immune disease. I also found she lost weight and had to really increase her food to keep condition on. She got pancreatitis from them and had to go on low fat diet which didn't help. In the end was feeding her 4 times a day. They saved her life but she really didn't cope well and I felt so guilty giving them too her. I know it's different for every dog and owner and at the time I really questioned what I was doing to her as she was so miserable - she was on them for 10 months - 3 of which were high dose. It took her at least 3 months to get back to her normal, lovely self after stopping them. Now I'm glad I stuck with it as she is fine but it was not an easy time so I really feel for you and your girl. My girl did not lose muscle on her head but got a bit pot bellied and looked like a hat rack. Was really tired all the time and peeing everywhere . If you are not happy with your girl keep questioning them - I must have been the biggest pain in the butt as I was calling at least 2-3 times a week .
Hope she improves soon . Take care x

Red Dog thanks for your message.  My girl was on 30g x 2 for four weeks and is now on 30 x 1 for the next four wks then steroids will be reduced again, will be October by the time she is down to 5g x 1.  I am trying not to build up my hopes but I was convinced she was terminally ill as she lost so much weight. in the five weeks she has lost 2k. all from mussle. head  & mussle around her spine.  I just hope at the end of it all she is fine. I too put her on meals x 4 as the hunger was so sad. she is ok now no probs with gastric bleed. I have been sleeping with her for the five weeks as she needs out through the night for toilet. she cant be in my room as it is two fliglhts up to my bedroom and she would never make down stairs without leaking. in fact at the start she leaked in her sleep she was so full!
   

I hope your steroids dose is milligrams[mg] and not grammes[g]

sorry yes it is mg.

Hi Tadog , my girl was on 50mg / day ( split into 2 doses) for 1 month, it was reduced gradually but unfortunately she relapsed on month 3 ( Last July) and had to go back onto the starting dose again :(  Specialist said if she relapsed again they would add in a second drug but didn't need to in the end. She then stayed on high dose longer - 6 weeks and was reduced even more slowly until she eventually came off in Feb this year. She was 23kg when this started and in great, lean muscular condition. She went down to just under 20kg and looked awful . She was also leaking continously . She was too weak to do the stairs but it is only 1 flight so I was carrying her up / down . She was sleeping in my bed ( she usually prefers her own bed but just wanted to be near me) so I was using incontinence pads under her bottom and plastic sheet under the normal sheet.
I also thought she was terminal and that they were missing something .
I so, so hope your girl rallies as it's the most awful thing to see them like that.
Take care and hugs to your girlie .x

Red dog, thank you for sharing that with me. I am trying not to build my hopes up that it is the steroids making her loose the weight, but it is diff.  I have been sleeping downstairs for the time she has been on the steroids so i can let her out thru night. my bedroom is two flights up and she would never make it downstairs. she too leaked at the start  but not now. even since thursday when she was was on her reduced dose i notice the fluid intake is much less.

It's great your girl is drinking less already. I also could not have managed 2 flights carrying her and would have stayed downstairs . I forgot to say after her pancreatitis she stayed on antepsin and zitac until we finished the pred in Feb and although she did not have gastric bleed like your girl I think they helped. I can empathise with not getting hopes up - I was fearing the worst and praying for the best...
I took them all down to the coast a few weeks ago and she was swimming like an otter and looking a million miles from where she was this time last year . Hang in there - you know your girl better than anyone and you will do the best by her - I'm keeping everything crossed for you both x

dont know if I mention it but we are now of zitac and now on opeprazole. that way I can feed four times without having to worry about the gastric bleed. I kept her on the antepsin for the first week but she seem to cope now with just the omeprazole.

just to update you on my girl, she has had her steroids reduced and is now starting to put her lost weight back on. I cant believe it! when she first got reduced she put on a kilo in four weeks. I  know we have a long way to go but what a diff place we are in just now. I am still sleeping downstairs with her as she still drinks loads and needs out. but we are so much better and I hope that this might help others whos dogs may have to go on the high dose of steroids that my gil was on that the weight loss is normal.

That sounds really promising . Been wondering how she was doing .

thanks red dog. such a relief! the steroids will continue to be reduced  gradually then in November we will see how she is doing and have a review with the vet school.

another month in and my girl is doing fab. she has again had her steroids reduced for another four weeks, her weight is now steady and her meal intake has reduced to two. AND I am back from the kitchen floor to my own bed!

That is just brilliant news - so pleased to hear that .
:)))

meal intake has reduced to two

meant from four to three!

That sounds like she is getting there :)
x

So pleased that progress is being made.  Even if it's slowly, we don't mind, as long as we get there! 

JeanSW, thanks. that is right. to be honest I never thought we would see Hattie so well again, fingers crossed she will be same once off her meds. the torture we put ourselfs thru!