My 13 year old collie is on oral prednisolone for her bronchitis. Actually she hardly ever coughs -  the main symptom is panting and raspy breathing when excited.
I would love to ditch the pred alltogether as I hate the short term effects and worry about the long term ones. But there is no holistic vet near me and my vets roll their eyes at alternatives!
Over on another forum, I've had recommended a herbal formula called Clear Lungs, plus milk thistle and slippery elm.
In the States it seems more common to use an inhaled steroid like Flovent which apparently has less side effects - I've given my vet details as they seemed unaware. That said it sounds like it might be pretty pricey even if I can get it.

Just wondered if anyone ele had experience of managing chronic canine bronchitis? Cheers

Not sure what a Yorkshire Collie is but at 13 years I would not be worrying about the long term effects of medication, I would only worry about her quality of life from day to day.

I took it the collie lived in Yorkshire.

I agree re meds and their side effects, if she has a good quality of life with her present regime then I would continue, you may find as the weather changes her condition improves and the steroids can gradually/very slowly reduced through the warmer months.

I nursed humans for decades with this condition and they only coughed when they smoked or had infected rubbish they needed to cough up, I take it your dog doesn't do the former even passively and you can recognise when she needs to see the vet for antibiotics.

I took it the collie lived in Yorkshire.


LOL you may be right, did not think of that. 13 is a good age even if she is a Border so I still think considering 'long term' should not be thought of as a worry.

Yes she's a border collie in Yorkshire, sorry!
I always thought 15/16 was the standard age for this breed and was hoping to get her there :(. If anyone has had a pet on steroids it's a fine balance relieving the symptoms of their condition v the side effects effects of the meds.

In my years in dogs many have been on steroids and have lived a normal span - for example hormones are steroids and are a natural substance of the body, given with care are no more dangerous than anything else. Yes in a human starting on steroids in their twenties their may be a problem the body dealing with them for a long while, say 60 to 70 years but for a dog to be on steroids for up to 5 years should not be a problem if prescribed and given with care.

It is a matter of personal feelings but I do not see my dogs life as a matter of years, it is a matter of quality and personally I would not be messing with their medication if they are well on it. Time to try something else is if or when the medication she is on does not work anymore.

Yes, some border collies do live to 15 and beyond but many do not anything over 10 is a gift - expected by not ensured. 

When my old bitch was diagnosed with bronchitis, we didnt have steroids, but she went on Corvental tablets. These help to open up the airways.

Interesting I'll take a look.
It may have a similar effect to Vivitonin which she was also prescribed - because apparently it opens up the airways etc.
The problem with the steroids is she can't tolerate anything other than a very low dose. And at the moment, even on the low dose she suffers from a variety of side effects and it is barely controlling the bronchitis anyway. So 'quality of life' is dubious! On a lower than low dose she is much more her old self - but then the bronchitis gets worse.
Damned if you do and damned if you don't. :-(
Which is one reason I was asking about inhaled flovent because apparently it has the benefits of a steroid but without the side effects.

Vivitonin improves the blood flow to the whole system and therefore improves the function of all organs including the brain, the purpose for which it is most usually given.

If your bitch can't deal with the particular sort of steroids perhaps the vet can try something else or a different type of 'steroid' one thing I would stress is do not use any other medication at the same time whether or not it is described as 'natural' and always tell you vet what you are proposing to give her before you do it. I speak as someone who is on medication and who has to be careful I do not eat too much of any food that will have the same effect as my medication because that 'effect' added to that of the medication could prove fatal.

Damned if you do and damned if you don't.
That I am sorry to say is the way of things, an animal with an incurable illness is given medication to try to achieve the best possible compromise between a reasonable life and an unreasonable one - left to it's own devises the bronchitis will make her so unwell her life would not be worth living but it is up to you to assess the present situation in consultation with your vet, would she be best allowed to live her life out as best she can with her failing lungs or should you give medication to ease that situation but increase something else (a variety of side effects) you do not specifies, in my own case this is mainly lethargy are irritation but better than the symptoms of the health problem I suffer from. So looking at it from the dogs point of view, with your vets knowledge, is it bet to let her have a short while 'back to her old self' before succumbing to her lung disease or do you want to make her lung disease less destructive for a while but her less active or what ever her side effects are?

PS Flovent is a steroid? It reduces inflammation but I would not think would have any different results as far as side effects are concerned than any given by mouth. It is designed for the treatment of asthma but not for the treatment of an asthma attack so it is not a medication used by topical administration as it must enter the blood stream to be effective, there are I believe an number of situations when this should not be used for example if the recipient is feeling stressed.

Yes flovent is a steroid - which is used for various conditions not just asthma. The clinical findings are that there are less damaging side effects with the inhaled method of delivery.

http://www.vin.com/proceedings/Proceedings.plx?CID=WSAVA2005&Category=&PID=11042&O=Generic

http://blog.vetrxdirect.com/steroid-inhalers-for-pets/

http://www.breatheazy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Summary-on-Use-of-Inhaled-Medications-in-Dogs-and-Cats.pdf

Vivitonin also has a bronchodilator action and seems to be a popular combo with vets in cases of bronchitis
http://www.petmeds.co.uk/p-4084-vivitonin-tablets-50mg.aspx

My dog with Bronchitis is on Corvental and it has helped massively.

Thanks for the information, I did not know that it is considered less damaging to give steroids via inhalation but then I have never had a problem with using oral steroids in a dog either and would wonder if there is a study of the use of this on dogs that have shown an intolerance to oral given medication - if you have a dog that reacts to steroids enough that they have to be taken off the treatment is the use of inhaled medication going to be any different given that it could cause stress even to give this medication and stress is a contra indication.

Did note that one of the papers linked to stated that it does not enter the blood stream but just the lungs - this seems strange to me how do they stop it entering the tissues but still be efficacious, I can't understand that can you explain please Popples

Just wondered is this product licensed in the UK?

My dog with Bronchitis is on Corvental and it has helped massively.

I have heard this is effect and think perhaps it should be discussed with the vet as an alternative although there may be a reason why this has not been offered - every case is different but better to talk it over with the vet and not try to medicate your self.

Side effects of oral steroids in canines are well known as are the lesser effects of inhaled steroids (there is plenty of information on the net about both) - not just hunger and thirst but fur loss, urinary incontinence, muscle weakness, change in character and potential longer term damage to the kidneys and liver. I know two people with dogs who have had problems. Mine has had all the immediate effects apart from character. Her fur is coming out in clumps! Unfortunately her dose helps mitigate the symptoms just a little - but at a higher does she has diarrhoea/vomiting and a lower dose is ineffective.
Anyway I am off to the vet today to discuss alternatives - such as a steroid antihistamine combo - which apparently works better in some dogs. Also the inhaled method - I've come across a post from a UK person whose dog is on this but generally it seems to be more of a USA thing. Many dogs readily accept this method and I'm 99% sure mine would be OK. She is quite placid.
Also I have had recommended a vet practice which provides holistic therapy as well as standard. There aren't some new age fruit loops but people who trained as a vet and then some more.
They act in partnership with the regular vet so that's another possibility I could then get informed advice on herbals and other therapies - to run alongside any steroids or other meds.
Cheers

What is being said here is at 13yrs old the dog being comfortable is more important than worrying about the side effects of the medication, in a much younger dog then thinking may be different and alternatives looked for.

perhaps she is doing so well, with little symptoms because of the drugs. My boy has very little symptoms now he is taking his corvental but i know without a doubt he will deteriorate in days without it. Having had another who i had to let go because she went down in 24hrs with this i will never let another go through it. Watching them gasp on the way to the vets is something i dont want to see again.

Also I have had recommended a vet practice which provides holistic therapy

Surely all vets offer holistic therapy unless my understanding of the term is wrong - I have always believed that it means to treat they whole animal not just the symptoms and that is what all the vets I have known do.

My goodness Nova. Are you always so picky? I came here for support and advice not to have someone like you (one of those small people with a little knowledge who don't know half as much as they would like to think) permanently challenging.... What is your problem?
But to clarify - by 'holistic vet' I mean one who offers alternative medicine  - ie acupuncture , homeopathy, herbal advice in addition to standard treatment. Most vets don't offer that unless they have specially qualified staff. These vets do also tend to be better at a general whole body approach. Unfortunately some vets are not very good at that - not even at offering lifestyle and diet advice.
Just an update, since starting on the inhaled steroids as opposed to oral steroids my dog's chronic bronchitis symptoms have much improved. The urinary incontinence has stopped and she is gradually getting back her hair - both well known oral steroid side effects (unless you are called Nova). If anyone needs info about this feel free to PM me. I actually won't be posting on these forums again. Fortunately there are plenty of Nova free zones to choose from.

My goodness Nova. Are you always so picky?

Am I? Don't mean to be but find it difficult to answer questions I do not understand. If you do that you could give misinformation.

If you had said you were interested in Acupunture and homeopathy I would have known I could not help.

Sorry you really don't like me but you can always use the ignore button. I just try to help.