Dog personality changes on prednisone
March 26, 2024 8:45 AM Subscribe
You may have seen my previous questions about my (now not so) sweet boy. He's been on prednisone for 2 months and he's really starting to have some personality changes that are pretty intolerable.
He's super restless in the evenings, but what's worse, he wants nothing to do with me unless I have food or am going into the kitchen, and he's now barking at full volume and literally pushing his body into our space to get at the food whenever I have a guest over and we're eating at the table. How tf do I deal with this? Is it reasonable to drop the prednisone dose further? He has cancer and I know the prednisone is helping with energy, etc. but I also know that I don't want my last memories of him to be this food sharky asshole dog, and also, this can't be that fun for him, either.
He's super restless in the evenings, but what's worse, he wants nothing to do with me unless I have food or am going into the kitchen, and he's now barking at full volume and literally pushing his body into our space to get at the food whenever I have a guest over and we're eating at the table. How tf do I deal with this? Is it reasonable to drop the prednisone dose further? He has cancer and I know the prednisone is helping with energy, etc. but I also know that I don't want my last memories of him to be this food sharky asshole dog, and also, this can't be that fun for him, either.
My dog was on prednisone for an immune issue and he was a constantly peeing, food sharky asshole until the dose was tapered by about 75%. (tapering is part of the treatment for IMHA, we did it with the vet's direction each step of the way)
I love him a lot but he was TERRIBLE to live with. We bulked up his regular food with carrots and green beans to try and get him through the worst. That helped a bit, might help your guy too. You might want to talk to the vet and see if there is another palliative treatment for him.
Keeping you both in my thoughts, rhymedirective. It's a tough road and you're doing great for your good boy.
posted by kimberussell at 9:31 AM on March 26 [4 favorites]
I love him a lot but he was TERRIBLE to live with. We bulked up his regular food with carrots and green beans to try and get him through the worst. That helped a bit, might help your guy too. You might want to talk to the vet and see if there is another palliative treatment for him.
Keeping you both in my thoughts, rhymedirective. It's a tough road and you're doing great for your good boy.
posted by kimberussell at 9:31 AM on March 26 [4 favorites]
I think it's worth balancing dosage between what's helping him for his palliative care and what is tolerable to be around (and for him to experience). Just be sure to taper slowly under the direction of your vet.
posted by misskaz at 9:54 AM on March 26 [4 favorites]
posted by misskaz at 9:54 AM on March 26 [4 favorites]
My late, great coonhound, Tracker, had a very rough time on prednisone. He was already pretty food obsessed, but the steroid turned it up to 11. He was hungry and obnoxious about it all the time and he ended up biting his beloved dog walker of 5+ years when she tried to take a piece of garbage he was trying to eat away from him, which was completely out of character for him. She was OK and never held it against him, but it still sucked a lot.
He also murdered a whole swath of our lawn with the constant peeing, but I didn't care much about that.
In the end, we tapered off the prednisone because it wasn't having much impact on his underlying condition (some kind of never fully identified inflammatory stomach thing) and the side effects were really damaging his, and our, quality of life. We did have a few more weeks of good time with him and then lost him in June of last year.
Keeping you and your sweet boy in my thoughts. Nothing about this is easy.
posted by fancypants at 9:57 AM on March 26 [1 favorite]
He also murdered a whole swath of our lawn with the constant peeing, but I didn't care much about that.
In the end, we tapered off the prednisone because it wasn't having much impact on his underlying condition (some kind of never fully identified inflammatory stomach thing) and the side effects were really damaging his, and our, quality of life. We did have a few more weeks of good time with him and then lost him in June of last year.
Keeping you and your sweet boy in my thoughts. Nothing about this is easy.
posted by fancypants at 9:57 AM on March 26 [1 favorite]
Prednisone is the monkey's paw of medications. It is amazing for energy, pain reduction, autoimmune conditions and some cancers but turns literally everyone into an irritable, insomniac, slightly manic food shark. Humans are variably able to manage these changes even with an understanding of what's going on.
Which is basically to say that this medication is intended to help him have a better life, and it doesn't sound like that's happening right now. You wouldn't be wrong to talk to your vet about tapering further or even discontinuing it if the adverse effects are outweighing the benefit.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 10:31 AM on March 26 [10 favorites]
Which is basically to say that this medication is intended to help him have a better life, and it doesn't sound like that's happening right now. You wouldn't be wrong to talk to your vet about tapering further or even discontinuing it if the adverse effects are outweighing the benefit.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 10:31 AM on March 26 [10 favorites]
turns literally everyone into an irritable, insomniac, slightly manic food shark
Can confirm, as a human who has been on prednisone a number of times (for asthma). I would also add "Constantly chugging water and peeing every 10 minutes." My cat has mostly tolerated it well, but it definitely made him want to eat anything even remotely edible.
I would talk to the vet about titrating to a lower dose. Hopefully you can find a dose that reduces these behaviors.
posted by litera scripta manet at 7:31 PM on March 26 [2 favorites]
Can confirm, as a human who has been on prednisone a number of times (for asthma). I would also add "Constantly chugging water and peeing every 10 minutes." My cat has mostly tolerated it well, but it definitely made him want to eat anything even remotely edible.
I would talk to the vet about titrating to a lower dose. Hopefully you can find a dose that reduces these behaviors.
posted by litera scripta manet at 7:31 PM on March 26 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks, everyone--after consulting with oncology we decided to lower his dose to 10mg and he is much, much better. He's actually relaxing again!
posted by rhymedirective at 6:39 AM on April 4 [1 favorite]
posted by rhymedirective at 6:39 AM on April 4 [1 favorite]
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posted by Lynsey at 9:22 AM on March 26 [1 favorite]