Dog help please

My male 13 yrs old dog is having isues
with a ruptured anal gland.
He is on antibiotics and scrub wash of area.

But he also to start taking Prednisone next
week.

I googled this and there are a lot of side effect
and was wondering if anyone has used this drug
with any ill effects.

At his age I don't want this to cause more problems.

Dr suspects he may have developed Perianal Fistulas.

Thanks

I dont Like pred but that is just me I take it for my COPD and Other problems with my lungs
\it has been know to cause water retention and that can lead to problems
as in weight gain and incontinence as some studies have shown

Did he say why he wants to start him on Pred??

wanted to add I know a ruptured anal glad is common in some toy dog breeds and the people I know that have had them rupture shave around the area and make sure it is empty and if it is a open area they pack it full of panalog everyday and rinse it with a weak Iodine mixture

appway

He is a Staffordshire terrier cross and the best dog
I have ever had.
She is suspecting Perianal Fistulas.

Currently he is taking Cephalexin and I am washing the
area with a medical scrub solution twice a day.
I am also spraying the area and the opening twice a
day with my betadine solution I use for the goat kid
cords at birth.

You are doing the right thing in the way you are caring for it. Is the reason the vet wants to use the Pred for Itching ? I would find out the reason before starting him on it Sounds like a wonderful dog and 13 he has led a wonderful life

appway wrote:You are doing the right thing in the way you are caring for it. Is the reason the vet wants to use the Pred for Itching ? I would find out the reason before starting him on it Sounds like a wonderful dog and 13 he has led a wonderful life

You know even at 13 he does not act old he chased a fox a
few weeks ago and wow can he still move and when I whistled
he stopped an came back. I just don't want this pred to create
another problem that could make him sick or with other issues.

At the moment this rupture is not even bothering him other
than he was licking a lot that's how I found the problem.

I assume he wants to start preg to shrink the fistula. I would be concerned with a dog that age there might be a tumour involved and pred can help shrink certain ones.

Usually they start with a loading dose and you taper it down over a course of time. In the beginning the dog may be more thirsty and drink more there for half to pee more. Something to be aware of. That generally goes away as dose is decreased. Potential side effects are gi upset. Make sure the dog is eating well with each dose. Long term use ( generally years of on off or low dose therapy) can cause in increase in liver values.

It does not cause " roid rage" as its not that kind of steroid.

Deffinatly worth giving it a go!

Anyone else have opinion on this he is
supose to start the drug tomorrow.

Have you spoken to your vet about your concerns? If you don't like or understand the treatment plan then either seek a second opinion from a qualified veterinarian.

I do have 15 years working as a trained veterinary technician so I gave you my speel on pred as I would any other paying client.

I agree - if you have concerns, as a vet or a vet tech, not a chicken forum (although we're lucky to have lots of people with knowledge on the topic, this is not your best venue for information!). What did your vet say when you voiced your concerns to her?

farmchiq wrote:I agree - if you have concerns, as a vet or a vet tech, not a chicken forum (although we're lucky to have lots of people with knowledge on the topic, this is not your best venue for information!).  What did your vet say when you voiced your concerns to her?

I see this chicken form is ok to discuss horses, sheep, goats, life but not dogs.
Interesting.

I see nothing wrong with Dog questions as they are part of the farm also

Why do you jump on me for my response? A few good answers came forth, including one from a qualified vet technician. When the poster asked for more, I suggested their Vet might be a better source of advice, not asking again when time is running out. Please explain what's wrong with that, and why offensive? If you're offended, sorry!

I think everyone just wants you to have the best answers to help you dog. Any vet worth using will take time to answer your questions. Fuzzy seems to know her stuff!

Sorry i missed this post. it also makes them ravenously hungry. We have a rat terrier that has an Autoimmude disorder that causes full body arthritis. We've had her on prednizone since Jan.
increased appetite. increased urination. yes, you will likely come home to accidents. but they will look so sorry about it!
As mentioned, she was on a good doseage, then weaned off. This is actually her first week off of it, and so far, so good.

And she's an older dog too, if that matters

sorry got side tracked the last few days
I did call the vet and discuss the concerns I
had and we decided to delay until all antibiotic
is finished and then re asess.
He is doing great and it appears to be healing.
But then he never acted sick or bothered just
licked a lot. That's how I noticed it was all the licking.
Thanks for all the input.

I had a Schip who would occasionally have a ruptured anal gland. I just cleaned it out and used an antibiotic cream to help it heal. It recurred two more times in her life. Healing it up was not an arduous process nor did it cause her undue stress or pain.

We have had our pup on a tapering prednisone dose for the past two months..perhaps a bit longer. What prednisone can do is increase the appetite, increase thirst, change temperament in that they could become more agressive..(mine didn't at all) their energy level also falls, as prednisone in the long run effects muscles and can lead to muscle wasting. As the prednisone is tapered the energy level should increase. Prednisone is a potent anti-inflammatory. It is an incredible medicine if used appropriately. Ask your vet exactly why he/she feels prednisone is the drug. If it is to decrease inflammation-go for it.
Our bodies (and i am assuming animals too) make endogenous steroids... It is important that you taper the prednisone and not just stop it because when the body recognises an exogenous form of steroid it will decrease the endogenous steroid being made. This can lead to a very serious episode of rebound.
Prednisone has a pretty bad name and one should be cautious where your information is derived...but it is a very useful drug in many situations.

I read the post from farm chick...and didn't think it was nasty at all...she was merely suggesting a different forum to get perhaps a more appropriate answer...from people who had better knowledge of dogs. I think as do others that it is perfectly ok to post dog stuff here..because a lot of people here breed dogs and have lots of dogs.( i have 5)...and dog knowledge....post what you like about your farm critters...
i love this group.....

 Update.
He has healed up real nice so happy will see
if it ever come back.

This is a few years back.  Rollo with his mom Thais and sister Lazer in back.