Prednisolone weaning issue

justin davis

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So, my cat Jack was given prednisolone for a flea allergy that was causing skin issues.  I gave him 2 pills a day for 5 days, then 1 pill for 5 days.  Then I was supposed to give him 1 pill every other day for 5 days.  With 3 pills left to take, Jack went missing.  This morning, after 13 days, he came home and I could not be happier.  But, I have a few pills left.....I assume I should just discard those remaining pills?  Is there any danger that he abruptly stopped, or should he be ok since he was very close to being off the pred anyway?

thanks
 

jcat

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to TCS! If he was gone and off the pred for almost two weeks, there doesn't seem to be any point in giving him the remaining pills, does there? Have you asked the vet? (S)he could advise you best.

I'm glad he came back!
 
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justin davis

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Yeah, I don't know why I mentioned the part about the remaining pills.  Kind of obvious that I certainly shouldn't give him anymore! 
  I was mostly worried about the abrupt stopping, but he was so close to the end anyway.  I'm going to stop at the vet on the way home from work and check, but was just wondering if anyone had any thoughts or similar experiences.

I'm ecstatic that he is home.  I had a cat go missing 3 years ago and Jack was the silver lining of that event that brought joy back into my life.  I was terribly grief stricken to then lose him.  I adopted a couple of kittens last Sunday to help with my grief (I had all but given up hope that Jack was gone, as our family has had terrible luck with our kitties going missing the past few years).  So in a week, I've gone from one cat to four!

And no more outside cats for me.  I can't bear to go through that again!
 

medicate

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Congratulations on having your cat back! I would check him for ticks if you already haven't.

The early prednisolone discontinuation shouldnt be a big problem since he was so close to the end of the taper. Any effects from it would have been long gone within a few days. You could keep the other pills in case he has another allergic reaction and give him the pills then. Though they are low dose now and might not help as much as before. You could taper him with 1 pill the day he reacts, another the next day, and the third on day four, skipping a day to soften the blow of discontinuing the steroids. But if he's sick from an infection or anything like that don't bother self medicating the cat as it could be harmful. Only if ur sure its the same reaction as before from the flea allergy. It could save you another trip to the vet...
 
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justin davis

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OK, thanks, I will check him for ticks (he did get a flea/tick treatment shortly before he left).  Geesh, between that and the prednisolone, no wonder why he ran off!  The day after he went missing, I did find an engorged tick on my older cat.  I treat them regularly but this year has been particularly bad for fleas and ticks in my area.  50 degrees in mid-December can't be helping either.
 
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