SHOULD I BE CONCERNED WITH LACK OF WATER DRANK ON PREDNISONE

[Mary Walker]

Reposting another question in case this issue gets lost in my one reponse to an earlier question.
Since Bailey was put on Prednisone to stop the biting and itching the vet had said to limit him to a litre of water per day.
Since he started the pills yesterday at 10:00 am and has now had 3 pills he has only drank no more than a cup of water in this time period.
His urine is very very yellow and he doesn't seem to be going more often than usual.
Should I be concerned that he doesn't seem to want to drink the extra water the vet said he would??
Thank you again
Mary Walker

[Keera's Mom]

Call the vet!!! His should be very drinking MORE not less water..

[Tamara & Giada]

My dog never changed her drinking when she was on it.

[Tegan]

Is that about what he would normally drink?? If his drinking is the same amount of water as he normally would I wouldn't worry about it. Prednisone can cause increased thirst and hunger but doesn't in all cases. It really depends on the dog what if any side effects they will experience (just like people). If he is drinking less water than normal I would call the vet. Increased urination would only occur if Baily is drinking large quantities of water. Kali has been on and off prednisone and it really seems to depend on the dose for her. On a higher dose she drinks tons of water and pees alot but when she is on a lower dose she doesn't seem to drink any extra.

[Jenn&Bruce]

Bruce is currently taking Prednisone (25 mg's every second day right now, but I have to increase the dosage I think) but I notice on the days that he takes his pill, he drinks more and pees for way longer.
but Bruce was always a "heavy drinker" so I'm not sure how normal taking three pills, and drinking way less is. and it also depends on Baileys regular drinking habits as well.
my suggestion is to call the vet and ask if there is reason to be concerned about dehydration.

[Ali]

From being on prednisone myself, I know that it makes you continuously hungry and thirsty. But the degree to which it effect each person or dog depends on the dosage the dog is taking. With prednisone, it is usually prescribed to start with a high dosage, and eventually wean you off the medicine. So by the time I end my prednisone, I am used to the side effects. I don't know if the vet just put him on a low dosage to start off with to see if that would help at all, because it seems that the doctor is experimenting with different things to know the cause or know how to fix him. Call the vet and see if you should be concerned and if the dosage he is on is a high one.

[clancy's mom]

Can I ask why so many doodles seem to be on prednisone? Isn't it harmful in other ways (to their kidneys, etc.?) I know it is for people. Isn't there a less severe medicine these dogs could be on? By the way, Clancy has been on prednisone once and on a similar, but less severe, medicine once -- for biting at his feet and scratching/rubbing his ears. I was very leery of keeping him on it or putting him back on it if his "symptoms" start again.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Prednisone is definitely a drug that should not be taken lightly; however, the only alternatives that will relieve the suffering of severe allergic reactions carry even more side effects and risk than the prednisone does, at a much higher cost.
It is not just doodles who are increasingly given prednisone; I would venture a guess that if you looked at any labrador retriever forum, (or many other breeds, for that matter) you would see the same thing. Allergies in dogs are on the rise, and the reasons for this are not known; some suspect it involves over-vaccination, environmental issues, etc. But labrador retrievers are the in the top three breeds affected most by allergies, so that's the doodle connection.

[Kelly]

is there a brand of food that will help decrease allergies, itching, and scratching?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Kelly, I have written extensively on this issue here on Doodle Kisses. The short answer is NO, despite the advice you will get on this in every dog forum anywhere.
Please read the following discussions for tons of information on itching, scratching, & allergies...all learned the hard way.

http://doodlekisses.com/forum/topic/search?q=%22All+about+allergies%22

http://doodlekisses.com/group/healthandmedicalissues/forum/topics/s...