When our furry family members become ill and suffer from inflammation, it can be a terrifying experience. Making sure to get them to the vet right away is a surefire way to help, and it can ease a lot of the tension of the unknown!
However, you may soon find that other anxieties start to pop up after your veterinary visit. With so many medications, you might wonder what exactly they are, how they can help, or how adverse effects of new medication could leave your dog feeling worse than before.
A common prescription given in veterinary medicine for dogs is a corticosteroid like prednisone or prednisolone.
While prednisone and prednisolone are popular in veterinary medication, they are still worth investigating!
Let’s break down the uses and serious side effects in dogs of prednisone and prednisolone and explore natural options to help your pets.
Breaking Down Prednisone and Prednisolone For Dogs
Prednisone and prednisolone are synthetic glucocorticoids used in a variety of disorders involving inflammatory and autoimmune processes.
While prednisone and prednisolone are both are used to treat the same diseases, they are a bit different.
Prednisone is what’s known as a synthetic corticosteroid, and it’s one that might be prescribed by your veterinarian as treatment. This is also an option used to treat a variety of human illnesses. It’s a key medication for bringing down inflammation in pets and humans alike.
Prednisone can do a lot for pets, and we’ll take a look at how that happens in this article.
Prednisolone is the active metabolite of prednisone. It can cross the cellular membrane and is also used for its anti inflammatory properties.
They are both powerful drugs that can help the body fight against life-threatening side effects.
What Are Steroids/Corticosteroids?
Steroids and corticosteroids are essentially the same. They are artificial drugs, which are made to be similar to the corticosteroids produced naturally in the body. It’s important to keep in mind that the drugs prescribed by a doctor like prednisone and prednisolone are not the same as those used illegally.
Prednisone or prednisolone for dogs addresses many issues including their immune system response, metabolism, stress response, and more. Prednisone is made to replace the naturally-created cortisol when your dog is not feeling well and cannot create enough of the hormone.
Cats, however, do not have a strong enough liver to process these drugs and should not take prednisone or prednisolone as medication.
