My 10-year-old dog passed away last night. Two weeks ago, he was treated for a severe ear infection; the vet prescribed Dermipred 20 (one tablet morning and night for five days, then half a tablet morning and night for 10 days). On the very evening the treatment finished, Wednesday 24th October, he started panting and couldn't put any weight on his front left leg. We took him to the vet on Thursday 25th October. He was diagnosed with muscle weakness in his leg. The vet put him on a drip, supposedly to help with the pain. On the Friday, he decided to do an X-ray. We went in to see him and, to our shock, he couldn't stand on his legs at all and started urinating on himself. We left him there for the X-ray, but an hour later the vet called to tell us he had died. Granted, he was old and had arthritis, but today we're wondering if the Dermipred was responsible for his health deteriorating so quickly and ultimately for his death.
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Cortisone is a medication that can have quite a few side effects, such as hyperglycaemia, muscle wastage, or even kidney failure. However, it’s difficult to directly link the Dermipred treatment to your pet's passing, especially since the symptoms only appeared after the course of treatment had finished. If you have serious concerns about the role Dermipred may have played, you can report it to the VMD (Veterinary Medicines Directorate) so that it’s flagged with the relevant drug safety agencies. I’ll leave the link here if you’d like to submit a report: https://www.vmd.defra.gov.uk/adversereactionreporting/
I am so sorry for your loss... Losing a faithful companion is a heartbreaking ordeal, and I understand how hard it is to be searching for answers.
Steroids, such as **prednisolone**, are powerful medications that can have side effects, including muscle weakness, increased thirst and appetite, and difficulty getting around, especially in an older dog suffering from arthritis. However, it’s unlikely to be directly responsible for his passing, particularly after the treatment had stopped. His advanced age and general health likely played a more significant role.
My own dog was on steroids, specifically **prednisolone**, and it helped her a lot during a critical time. But every dog reacts differently. Perhaps your little one had an underlying condition that took a turn for the worse quite quickly.
I would suggest speaking to your vet to help you understand exactly what happened. Don’t blame yourself; you did your absolute best to give him all the care and love in the world. ❤️
Hi everyone, I wanted to share my experience regarding Cortisone. My little 14-year-old Cavalier King Charles, Eden, had chronic bowel inflammation; her intestinal wall had thickened and she was suffering from malabsorption. I’d been giving her Fortiflora and highly digestible gastrointestinal wet and dry food to try and avoid using Cortisone, but it didn't work. As her condition was getting worse, I finally started her on Cortisone for 10 days and then tapered the dose for two days, as you should never stop it abruptly. I stopped on the Monday, and by Tuesday evening she could no longer walk on her back legs. She already had arthritis and had lost quite a bit of weight, but it was strange that she lost her mobility the very next day. I’ve come to the same conclusion as you: could the Cortisone be the cause? Apparently, it affects tendons and muscles, according to what I’ve read online. So do be careful; I hope our story can help others. We had to have her put to sleep because she was soiling herself and her state deteriorated so suddenly—a severe lung infection. In just three days, we realised we’d reached the end. Such a sad end for our sweetheart.
Hi there,
I'm so sorry about your dog and my heart goes out to you. As I mentioned before, I can't be certain about the harmful side effects of steroids, but I'm becoming quite wary after seeing several cases like yours. I agree with you—it leaves such a huge void when you lose a pet, and it’s really hard to get through. Wishing you strength and have a good day.
Hi everyone,
I also gave my dog cortisone on my vet's advice because he was diagnosed with meningitis, although it wasn't very obvious during the examination. My dog was very young and he passed away on the 10th day of his treatment, without showing any clear warning signs. I feel so guilty now for not spotting anything, but I know none of this will bring him back. I cry every day; these little ones leave such a massive void in our lives.
I’m so sorry to hear about what’s happening to your Labrador. You’re describing the exact same symptoms my dog had, and it’s really worrying. On one hand, this medication improves their health, but as soon as you taper off the dose or stop it altogether, everything goes downhill again. It’s high time vets looked into the side effects of this drug. I’ve since taken on another dog from a rescue centre and I’ve changed vets. However, I haven’t dared to ask the new one about Dermipred (prednisolone) yet. I really think people should be alerted to how dangerous this treatment can potentially be. I’m so sad for you and I truly hope your Lab pulls through – my thoughts are with you.
Hi everyone,
I’ve got a 13-year-old Lab who was doing pretty well for his age until he had surgery on a canine tooth due to an infection. Since the operation, he’s developed infections on all four paws (blood and pus) to the point where he can’t even walk. None of the vets have ever seen anything like it. We’ve had loads of tests done and spent a fortune...
Nothing was working, neither antibiotics nor painkillers, until one day he was prescribed Dermipred (2 tablets a day) and there was a clear improvement. We reduced the dose and he’s relapsed since then. I’ve put him back on the Dermipred (1 tablet a day) but I feel like his overall condition is just getting worse and worse; he’s got weakness in his back legs that wasn't there before he started this medication.
I’m wondering if there are some really nasty side effects, especially considering his age. On one hand, it’s clearing up the sores on his paws, but on the other, I feel like it’s killing him slowly. He’s constantly exhausted and really out of breath!! I don’t know how much longer he can carry on like this...
Virginie
I’ve been giving my 12-year and 3-month-old cat 5mg of prednisolone instead of Dermipred (one a day) for cancer and a thyroid issue for the last 8 months.
Hi carludone, I don’t want to alarm you, but if I were in your shoes, I’d try to give the vet a ring as they should be able to point you towards an out-of-hours service. I chose to wait until the morning and, four months on, I still blame myself. I should have taken him to the emergency vet that night; maybe he would have pulled through, but we’ll never know. That said, yours is young, so it’s not quite the same as with my dog. Even if it’s just to put your mind at rest, try to get hold of a professional and explain the symptoms to them. Keep me posted, speak soon.
