Incontenance and prednisone

[Kirsten]

I've got a call in to the vet, but while I wait and worry, does anyone have experience with incontenance and prednisone?  I have a friend whose dog has this issue, so I know there can be a connection.

Here's the thing.  Cole was put on prednisone Thursday.  Three days on, then every other day were the instructions.  So Sunday was skipped and his most recent pill was yesterday.  He showed no effects other than less itching, which was the reason for putting him on prednisone in the first place.

Suddenly this morning he had some urgency.  It wasn't unusual because he chose to skip last night's final potty (he often does).  He woke me, I took him down stairs and outside and he took care of business same as usual.  Six hours later we're nearing another potty time.  He asks, and I start down the stairs.  We reach the main floor and my fully house trained, extremely reliable (even when other dogs have peed there) dog starts peeing on the floor.  I shouted "no," and he continued on to the back door, peeing all the way.  Very obvious incontenance.

Outside he peed and peed.  Fifteen minutes later I offered, he accepted, and again he peed a good sized quantity.  Another fifteen minutes and again he had plenty to empty out.

My questions are:  is it common for this peeing problem to show up after so many days on the treatment?  Is it normal under the circumstances to pee every 15 minutes?

[Roxie]

I don't know the answer to that question.

But if he's peeing that much watch his fluid intake to make sure he doesn't get dehydrated and electrolytes out of balance.

Vet call for info is needed.

Maybe the prednisone acts as a diuretic?????

Roxie

[k1maplewd]

I do know that pred can cause incontinence and usually an increase thirst which adds to the problem.  Some dogs it shows right away, some dogs days later.

I hope that it's a short lived side effect for Cole.

[Spectrum]

Prednisone makes dogs drink more and pee more. Incontinence is actually a very common side effect. Max was on prednisone a couple years ago for itching, and he did the same thing.

Prednisone also has a tendency to make dogs want to eat more, which is one of the reasons long-term use leads to weight gain.

It's not uncommon for the side effects to show up several days after starting. Prednisone builds up in the system to a point (which is why you start once a day, sometimes even twice a day, then lower the dose).

Unfortunately, aggression is another potential side effect of prednisone, but a dog that already is temperamentally sound will not be as prone to that.

[Kirsten]

I heard back from the vet, who said about what y'all said.  He said it might not actually be incontenance but that a very well house trained dog may miscalculate on how long he can hold it.  We ruled out bladder infection and bladder stone, so it's probably just the prednisone.

No signs of agression.  We were out peeing, in my mom's unfenced yard, when a stray pitbull came up on us.  I ran the girls inside (they were on leashes) and called to Cole.  When I went back for him he was just standing there watching the pit pee.

I now have him on an hourly pee oportunity offering.  It seems to be working except for one thing.  I'm at the top of a flight of sixteen steps.  I don't want him going up and down those steps every hour.  He is an old dog and has arthritis in his spine.  So I left him downstairs with my mom.  Am I a bad dog mom for abandoning him?  I can't sit down there all day with her.  We make each other nuts.

[hopesclan]

Kirsten,

Are you able to monitor his water intake?  If that is a possibility, you could monitor his potty breaks and just take him out after he drinks like you would a pup.  Then it probably wont be every hour.  I'm not sure about pulling water for a dog on pred.  My vet told me to free water, but I'm not sure if that is necessary or not as long as the water is offered often enough.

Don't feel guilty about leaving him downstairs.  Maybe give him a special condolance treat though--Hope votes for a PB kong (though that might encourage more liquid consumption).  Or maybe you should invest some wings for him, so he can fly up and down the stairs?? 

How much longer on the pred?  I know it can be a very useful drug regardless of the side effects that are always considered.  Hope has been getting 1/2 a tab every 3-4 weeks or so this allergy season as soon as I see the itchies start up.  That very small and single amt has made this horrible allergy season issue free, along with regular antihistimines.  Knock on wood.  Hope does unfortunately turn into a royal bitch at home (not in public for some reason and not agressive--just stubborn and demanding), but not with only 1/2 tab and then off it.  She also does need to pee a whole lot more but thats because of the gallons of water consumed.

Anyway, hope there is no more problems.