My dog is on prednisone for SRMA. How long is long-term use?

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.

Yes, many dogs with IBS are treated long-term with daily prednisone. We normally try to wean them down to the lowest dose that is still effective at controlling their symptoms to help minimize side effects, but this is a very common treatment strategy for this disease.

That is a low dose, however, there is no set time frame for you to see side effects. Some dogs are more sensitive and develop side effects quickly, and some dogs are on it longer before this happens. Side effects include excessive thirst and hunger, panting, developing a pot-bellied appearance, and losing overall muscle tone. It is not a medication that is ideal for long-term use. Allergies can be very frustrating to manage. If you have a veterinary dermatologist in your area, you may consider allergy testing and even allergy shots to try and make Lily more comfortable. This isn't available everywhere, but if other medications haven't helped, it might be worth looking into. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

A long acting corticosteroid shot usually last 8 weeks, but can last longer. I'm wondering if the drug you are speaking of is Temaril-P. That is prescribed to dogs for relief of itching, and it contains a steroid (prednisolone).

Yes, it's fine to use prednisone this way. It can be used daily in some dogs for long periods of time to manage certain conditions, so there is definitely no problem with giving it for a day here and there, as long as you're following your veterinarian's instructions.

Some dogs will have an elongated soft palate that can become inflamed, and prednisone helps reduce inflammation. Dachshunds are also more likely to develop a disease called lymphocytic-plasmacytic rhinitis that causes chronic nasal inflammation. This disease is usually diagnosed by taking biopsy samples during a rhinoscopy. In either case, the prednisone would probably not completely eliminate the disease and some kind of medication might be needed long term. I would recommend discussing treatment options with your veterinarian. I think his chest x-rays look normal for his breed.

I am sorry your dog is suffering from lymphosarcoma. He will need to take the prednisone for the rest of his life as that slows down the cancer. There is no need to wean him off. You will need to discuss this with your veterinarian.