Does anyone have a cat with IBD on Prednisolone long term?

[raintyger]

And, that is a fairly common low dose. 5 mg. being the common dosage and eventually you and your vet may be able to lower her to 2.5 mg. daily and still reap benefits.

I have heard great things about the use of Miralax too. My vet is recommending it for Perla as her poops are getting harder and harder these past few months even though she is mostly on a wet food diet with added water. Perla also eats some Nature's Variety canned foods. I notice that their canned diet is very dry, so I always add water. With the Miralax, he will get 1/8 tsp. twice daily to start and I can increase it if I don't see more normal poops. I really hope it helps!

I've heard that Nature's Variety sometimes causes constipation. I wonder if it's anything to do with the montmorillonite clay they add?

 
I noticed that since Tabby’has taken Prednisolone, she sleeps less than before. Is it side effect of the Pred?! I’m kind of worried… Any thoughts?

Hi Feralvr, Thank you for your kind comments! 

Thanks for saying that! I really hope I can lower her to 2.5mg or less! Hopefully she will gain enough weight soon, then I can ask my vet about lower the dose! 

I really hope Perla will get better soon! Thank you so much for sharing your story! I haven’t gotten an answer from my vet about Miralax, so I still continue giving her the Eunlose, I see some improvements! Keep me posted! 

Thank you all for reading and commenting! I appreciate your kind attention very much.

Are you in the U.S.? Miralax is not prevalent in Europe, although you can order it off Amazon. As a result not all vets are aware of Miralax. I would still pursue an answer, though. Miralax has many advantages: over-the-counter, inexpensive, more effective (as perceived in most cases), no sticky cleanup.

 

[feralvr]

I noticed that since Tabby’has taken Prednisolone, she sleeps less than before. Is it side effect of the Pred?! I’m kind of worried… Any thoughts?

Hi Feralvr, Thank you for your kind comments! 

 And, that is a fairly common low dose. 5 mg. being the common dosage and eventually you and your vet may be able to lower her to 2.5 mg. daily and still reap benefits.

Thanks for saying that! I really hope I can lower her to 2.5mg or less! Hopefully she will gain enough weight soon, then I can ask my vet about lower the dose! 

I really hope Perla will get better soon! Thank you so much for sharing your story! I haven’t gotten an answer from my vet about Miralax, so I still continue giving her the Eunlose, I see some improvements! Keep me posted! 

Thank you all for reading and commenting! I appreciate your kind attention very much.:heart4:

Not to worry! Pred will make them feel better, have a bit more energy too and that is not such a bad thing. My Wendall is on a low dose of Pred for his lung issues and asthma, he gets 5 mg. of Prednisolone once per day or divided into two 2.5 mg. doses AM/PM. And, my Pip, who had IBD/Pancreatitis would be a bit more up when on the Pred too - he would also receive 5 mg. Prednisolone once per day. The Pred can make them a bit more hungry too and act as an appetite stimulant.

Thank you and I hope Perla's poops soften up a bit too. GOOD on the Eunlose and that you are seeing "mobility".

 

[feralvr]

I've heard that Nature's Variety sometimes causes constipation. I wonder if it's anything to do with the montmorillonite clay they add?

I think I have heard the same thing and that is why I prefer to rotate canned food brands and varieties and not stick to one brand all the time. Here is an interesting and informative thread from a few years back on the subject of Montmorillonite Clay http://www.thecatsite.com/t/249405/...iety-instinct-chicken-formula-canned-cat-food

It does have many beneficial health benefits and there seems to be two sides on this subject!! I cannot imagine NV using anything that would be harmful or dangerous to cats or dogs. Still, it is always good to research on our own and if I can find anymore solid information on the subject, I will post it here!

 

[feralvr]

I am trying to find a thread that explains about how the cat's liver converts Prednisone into Prednisolone. Seems from this article and in the thread I am trying to find I remember reading that many cats are not able to convert Prednisone into Prednisolone in their liver and/or if a cat has liver problems, then these cats should be prescribed Prednisolone. That way the liver doesn't have to convert or make the change. Check with your vets too, interesting topic!! http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=622

 

[mommytabby]

 
I've heard that Nature's Variety sometimes causes constipation. I wonder if it's anything to do with the montmorillonite clay they add?

Are you in the U.S.? Miralax is not prevalent in Europe, although you can order it off Amazon. As a result not all vets are aware of Miralax. I would still pursue an answer, though. Miralax has many advantages: over-the-counter, inexpensive, more effective (as perceived in most cases), no sticky cleanup.

Hi Raintyger,
Thank you for your feedback! 

Oh,, I thought dry and hard pooos are side effect of the Pred, and I didn’t think about the food! You may be right!! But, I really hope it’s not, because Tabby has been well on it and liked it. I switched so many canned foods, because she refused to eat prescriptions foods from the vets. I didn’t know what to feed, then I found this site! And members recommended LID for us. I also looked up ‘Montmorillonite clay’, and it seems safe for cats… I’ll search more about it!

About the Miralax, Yes we are in the US. The vet told me that, I should stick with the Eunlose for now. Our next visit to the vet is in three weeks, so if I don’t see much result, I’ll ask the Miralax again. (I asked about it by email.) I think my vet is conservative, because my vet doesn’t recommend a raw food diet at all! 

Thank you again for your help!

 

[mommytabby]

Not to worry! Pred will make them feel better, have a bit more energy too and that is not such a bad thing.

My Wendall is on a low dose of Pred for his lung issues and asthma, he gets 5 mg. of Prednisolone once per day or divided into two 2.5 mg. doses AM/PM. And, my Pip, who had IBD/Pancreatitis would be a bit more up when on the Pred too - he would also receive 5 mg. Prednisolone once per day. The Pred can make them a bit more hungry too and act as an appetite stimulant.

Thank you and I hope Perla's poops soften up a bit too. GOOD on the Eunlose and that you are seeing "mobility".

Hi Feralvr,
Thank you for your kind comments! 

I feel much better now. Now, Tabby is sleeping!!

I was glad to know Perla's poops improved a bit!

 

[denice]

It often takes a while to get everything right both medication and diet.  Unfortunately a lot of it is trial and error, the regimen that works for one kitty may not work for another kitty.  After we got Patches well and got things right for him he has done well.

 

[mommytabby]

I think I have heard the same thing and that is why I prefer to rotate canned food brands and varieties and not stick to one brand all the time. Here is an interesting and informative thread from a few years back on the subject of Montmorillonite Clay http://www.thecatsite.com/t/249405/...iety-instinct-chicken-formula-canned-cat-food

It does have many beneficial health benefits and there seems to be two sides on this subject!!

I cannot imagine NV using anything that would be harmful or dangerous to cats or dogs. Still, it is always good to research on our own and if I can find anymore solid information on the subject, I will post it here!

Hi Feralvr, 

Thank you for your comment and the link! 

If Tabby will refuse to eat Nature's Variety LID Turkey, I was thinking of switching to Nature's Variety LID ‘Rabbit’. But that’s from the same brand, and they both contained Montmorillonite Clay… I read the link, some of the members mentioned Weruva, I may try that one! What type of food are you feeding your cat? If you don’t mind me asking.  

 

[mommytabby]

I am trying to find a thread that explains about how the cat's liver converts Prednisone into Prednisolone. Seems from this article and in the thread I am trying to find I remember reading that many cats are not able to convert Prednisone into Prednisolone in their liver and/or if a cat has liver problems, then these cats should be prescribed Prednisolone. That way the liver doesn't have to convert or make the change. Check with your vets too, interesting topic!! http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=622

That's very helpful! I'll read it carefully.

I don't remember where I got this comment, but some of the members said like

"Prednisolone is more a natural type and predisone is more a chemical type."

So I thought the Prednisolone is good for my cat. 

My vet didn't even mentioned me predisone! 

Thank you again for your help!

 

[mommytabby]

Hi Denice,
I was glad to hear Patches has been well! 

Tabby is finally gained some weight!! She is really skinny… and she still needs to gain more weight thought but, I’m so happy!

 

[mommytabby]

 
OK, I think I get it now. It sounds like your prednisolone was made by a compounding pharmacy, which is going to cost more because it sounds like they converted it to a liquid form. I used to just crush the tablets and put it in a small amount of food. I served that before dinner, so I could make sure she ate it. Either that or I would use Pill Pockets.

You should ask your vet about Miralax. It's an over the counter that does the same thing that lactulose/Enulose does, that is draw water into the colon. Miralax comes in a powder/granular form and is not sticky. Most people on the Yahoo! feline chronic constipation and megacolon group preferred it and felt it worked better than lactulose.

Hi Raintyger,

Lately Tabby got her appetite back and was eating normally again. So I followed your method to give prednisolone! Mine is liquid, but it worked nicely!

I wonder 'liquid' prednisolone can also okay to mix with food? 

I know some medicines don't have the same effect when it's mixed with food.

If anyone knows this, please let me know!

 

[raintyger]

I specifically asked my vet if it was OK to administer with food, and he said yes. I was on a tablet form, but I wouldn't think tablet vs. liquid would matter.

 

[tommy2015]

 Our dusty has been on Prednisolone for about one year. We started from 0.25ml/per day in the first month, then the vet suggested reducing the dose as the med may result in diabetes. In the following months we gradually reduced the dose to three times a week. In early this year as Dusty had poor appetite and started vomiting, we increased the dose to 0.25ml every day. According to the vet, we should keep her on this dose for the rest of her life.

Dusty's situation may be different from your Tabby. Dusty is 16 years old now and in the last stage of CKD. For Tabby, you may try to reduce the dose in a very gradual way, as long as he feels comfortable and eats well.

 

[mommytabby]

 
I specifically asked my vet if it was OK to administer with food, and he said yes. I was on a tablet form, but I wouldn't think tablet vs. liquid would matter.

Hi Raintyger! I'm relieved to hear that! It's not easy giving Tabby her meds. Thank you so much for your help and time! 

 

[mommytabby]

 
 Our dusty has been on Prednisolone for about one year. We started from 0.25ml/per day in the first month, then the vet suggested reducing the dose as the med may result in diabetes. In the following months we gradually reduced the dose to three times a week. In early this year as Dusty had poor appetite and started vomiting, we increased the dose to 0.25ml every day. According to the vet, we should keep her on this dose for the rest of her life.

Dusty's situation may be different from your Tabby. Dusty is 16 years old now and in the last stage of CKD. For Tabby, you may try to reduce the dose in a very gradual way, as long as he feels comfortable and eats well.

Hi tommy2015,
Thank you for sharing your story!

Sorry to hear that Dusty is in the last stage of CKD. I really hope you can keep managing her CKD.  My vet is also concerned about Tabby’s kidney. We will visit the vet in three week to recheck her kidney. Tabby really afraid of the vet, but I guess it’s necessary to recheck her blood work and urinalysis constantly… 

Thank you for your advice! When I reduced her the dose from 0.50ml/per day to 0.25ml/per day, it didn’t take any step… My vet just called me and said I should cut a half dose from the date, so I did. Tabby was fine, but next time I can reduce her the dose, I will ask the vet that I want to reduce the dose in a very gradual way for Tabby. Thank you so much for pointing out! I really appreciate your help!! 

 

[feralvr]

Hi Feralvr, 
Thank you for your comment and the link! :heart4:

If Tabby will refuse to eat Nature's Variety LID Turkey, I was thinking of switching to Nature's Variety LID ‘Rabbit’. But that’s from the same brand, and they both contained Montmorillonite Clay… I read the link, some of the members mentioned Weruva, I may try that one! What type of food are you feeding your cat? If you don’t mind me asking.  

OH what do I feed my cats..... :lol3:..... where do I begin because I feed so many different types of canned foods, a dry mixture at bedtime and even some commercially made raw to two of my cats. For canned foods, my favorites are definitely Weruva, any variety; EVO; Core; Welness grain free pouches; Tiki cat; Fancy Feast Pate's and even some Friskies! I have two very picky cats and one actually only eats Fancy Feast and Core. Go figure. You just have to try and see as there are so many excellent brands available for our kitties.

 

[mommytabby]

Hi Feralvr,
Wow… so many!! Yeah, I got it. Tabby is picky, too.  Weruva sounds like really good one!! Thank you for sharing! 

 

[raintyger]

 
Hi Raintyger! I'm relieved to hear that! It's not easy giving Tabby her meds. Thank you so much for your help and time! 

There's also Pill Pockets. My kitty liked them for a while and then refused them, but they're still worth a try.


If you are going to a compounding pharmacy, then ask about getting flavored drugs. They can flavor the drug, and if they specialize in pet prescriptions, you can get flavors like tuna or chicken.

 

[mommytabby]

 
There's also Pill Pockets. My kitty liked them for a while and then refused them, but they're still worth a try.


If you are going to a compounding pharmacy, then ask about getting flavored drugs. They can flavor the drug, and if they specialize in pet prescriptions, you can get flavors like tuna or chicken.

Thank you for the link! I'm afraid to use it, because Tabby has IBD. The pocket contained chicken, wheat, gum, that I think Tabby shouldn't have them. 

Yes, I'm using a compounding pharmacy, they flavored the drug for her, but somehow she knows... Lately, I mix liquid Prednisolone into her meal and she eats okay!

 

[mommytabby]

I wanted to update everyone who recommended Miralax to my cat, Tabby!
We visited the vet today, and the vet told me that it’s okay to give Miralax, but with Enulose! I felt it’s kind of too much to give two different medicines for constipation. But the vet didn’t want to stop giving her Enulose either. 
Tabby is on Enclose for a month and her poops soften up. But always the first part of her poop is hard and then underneath is mushy. I don’t know why this happened, dose any one know? I hope the Miralax helps soften all of her poop.  

Has anyone given your cat both Miralax and Enulose? 

Thank you all for your help and kind attention!