Is licorice root safe for my dog's swollen legs after prednisone?

The best option now would be to place an e-collar (cone) on Starla to prevent any more licking. Be sure the collar extends at least 2 inches past her nose in order to be effective. Ideally, she should be seen by your veterinarian to diagnose and treat the underlying cause. Causes may include allergies, pain, infection, trauma, boredom or anxiety. Licorice root is said to have anti inflammatory properties and can be used topically or orally. Anything you apply topically will likely be licked off unless she has a cone in place. Licorice root should not be given to dogs with kidney disease, heart disease or hypertension (high blood pressure).

This extract is purported to have anti inflammatory properties. However, since it is a supplement, it is not regulated by the FDA. It likely will not be as effective as Prednisone. Discuss it's use for Snoopy with your veterinarian or a certified veterinary homeopath before giving it.

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This is a great question. Long-term administration of *any* medication will have pros and cons, but in my opinion if the prednisone is keeping Sasha comfortable, she can definitely stay on it long-term. Side effects and concerns associated with prednisone are all dose-dependent, and Sasha's dose of 5mg every other day is an extremely low and safe dose. I would be very comfortable keeping her at this dose long-term, and would not expect any harm to come from it. We have a long list of conditions that are treated with prednisone, and I have many patients who must be on prednisone for life. These patients tend to do great, often on MUCH higher doses than Sasha is receiving. As long as your vet is comfortable with you keeping her on prednisone, go for it! Hope this helps! Feel free to request a consultation if you'd like to discuss Sasha's management in more detail.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would still keep the appointment you have with the veterinarian. In the meantime, you could start a pain medication to help her out. I would recommend Well & Good Buffered Aspirin. You can find this product at PetCo and it is specifically for dogs. Follow the dosing on the bottle as directed. The veterinarian will likely give you a different medication that is safer to use long term. I hope this helps! I would definitely get x-rays of the leg tomorrow to look into this further and rule out any bone fractures.

Cushing's is a disease characterized by an excess of cortisol, and prednisone is a corticosteroid that acts like cortisol in the body. So if a dog is taking prednisone for a medical condition herbs to treat Cushing's would potentially counteract the prednisone, and I wouldn't recommend them.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. This is quite severe and warrants therapy. The likely secondary infections need to to be addressed and the itchiness also need to be addressed to prevent this issue from getting worse. Medications like prednisone can be used for the itchiness and antibiotics for the infections. In the meantime, you can use an e-collar in the meantime to prevent further self-trauma. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry Bruno had hives and other skin irritation. Prednisone can have an effect on the body if given long-term or at high doses; typically, a short course of a steroid can have some short-lived side effects (increase in hunger/urination, eating/drinking more), but tends to be otherwise well-tolerated. While any medication can have an adverse effect (and if you are seeing any concerning signs I would reach out to your regular veterinarian immediately), low doses of appropriately dispensed steroids should be processed fine unless there is another underlying medical condition. Again, if you are concerned or if Bruno is showing signs of being ill, I would have him evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible.