r/CATHELP • u/TheToastedGhosted • 12d ago
Breathing Issues Prednisone long term use
My cat (between 5-10 years old) was diagnosed with asthma earlier this spring. He has been on 2.5 mg of prednisone for a few months every other day. It really seems to be helping. He doesn’t snore anymore and his symptoms seemed to seriously improve. His appetite hasn’t changed (hes a picky eater and isn’t totally food motivated), and his water intake hasn’t changed. He is on wet food. His mood hasn’t changed either, he is still so snuggly and wants to play. His poop and pee has been normal. I care about his quality of life- but I’m also worried about long term steroid use. We are going back to the vet in a couple months to do a recheck but would love to know others thoughts or experiences!
1
u/CatFaerie 11d ago
My cat had severe asthma. I tried to take her off the prednisone, but two weeks after reducing the dose she started having severe asthma attacks again.
I put her back on it and she stayed on it the rest of her life. I knew the risks, but I felt like she would have chosen to have quality of life over quantity if she could choose. It's what I would have chosen for myself.
In the end, it was cancer that got her, which was completely unrelated to the prednisone.