Steroid use?

[Tula]

Phoebe had two badly infected ears. She also has bleeding spots on her ears from scratching. She was given a steroid injection as well as oral steroids and antibiotic drops for her ears. She is panting heavily and drinking excessively. We decided to cut back on the steroids - but wondered what other folks think? Kim

P.S. She also has a heart murmur. It has progressed over the course of a couple of years and we are considering medications. Thoughts?

 

[Erika]

no thoughts but well wishes from here

 

[JackandKelly]

Kim,
I have no advice on the steroids since I do not know much about them and heart issues other than you have to watch the dose.

Regarding the ears, Lola had an ear infection for 4 months. We could not get rid of it no matter what we tried, she had a fever, she stopped eating and lost weight. Finally the vet tried new ear drops called Surolan. Her infection was gone in 5-7 days.

 

[Murphy]

I have also used Surolan. First sign of an ear infection I put a few drops in and presto.. It's gone

 

[Melissakins]

We use Synotic on Sophie. Works GREAT.

 

[Tula]

Thanks. We have a re check for sweet phoebe on Th and I will mention this. I took her to school with me today and she is just not herself Kim

 

[Lori]

Chance had lots of ear infections until I started using Prozyme (digestive enzymes) on his food. About the excessive drinking and panting, if these aren't being caused by her heart problems, what about pain, thyroid or cushings disease? Might be something to mention to the vet to rule out. Hugs for Phoebe.

 

[HeidiPeterson]

Prednisone and other steriods will cause excessive drinking and urination. It can also cause the heavy panting.

 

[Ivoryudx]

Yes, to the heart meds, and I second the thyroid test. Have they cultered the ears to see what your dealing with? Thats the first step to finding out what med will work. What food are you feeding? Chronic ear infections can be caused from a food allergy.

Sorry you and Phoebe are going through this, I hope you find some answers soon!

 

[NewfMom]

It is important not to stop steroids too suddenly. You need to check with your vet whether you should just stop them. This can cause its own problems.

The panting and drinking are common side effects of the steroids that should go away as you decrease the steroid dose.

Steroids are almost always given with a tapering dose where you give more at the beginning and taper off them. Please check with your vet before stopping the steroids on your own.

 

[Pipelineozzy]

Agreed..you CANNOT just stop steroids without tapering...because you can cause her to become a cushings dog by doing that. Call your vet. It depends a lot on how long and what doses she has been on.
Steroids often help reduce the inflammation with a severe ear problem, so it's not unusual for them to be given.