Pugsley: aka, the Sausage.
Lori: Loves Pugs. Writing. Food and Fashion.
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So the Prednisone is making Pugsley RAVENOUSLY hungry. I mean he cannot be stopped. I feed him first thing in the morning before I feed myself and first thing when I come home because he is in such a hurry to eat.
He comes in from his morning constitutional walks and before I can get to the food bag he is barking at me and actually trembling. Sometimes I hear his little teeth chattering he wants to eat so badly. I feed him and as soon as he finishes eating he comes running back over to me begging for more. Like what I gave him wasn't enough. Then I sit down to eat my meal and he is almost on my lap begging for some of my food shaking and trembling. I should mention he only shakes when he eats.
He acts like he is STARVING only I know he isn'. But he thinks he is. He thinks I am holding out on him and not feeding him as much as he needs. He looks at me with big sad eyes like I am ignoring his needs and making him go hungry. I hate it.
Tonight he started eating a paper bag and this morning he stuck his head in the pantry and started pulling out plastic forks and knives one by one from a cardboard box because there was one small kernel of kibble at the bottom of the box. Several times now I’ve caught him trying to eat the arms and legs off of his stuffed toys and he picks off the little pieces of his ribbed nylabones too. I won't even get into the things he is eating outside.
The vet told me Prednisone would increase his appetite but this seems excessive. He’s on a very small dosage, only one 5 mg pill a day.
His waking hours are spent begging for food. It’s sad. And hard for me because I want to give him whatever he wants at this point, within reason. But if I fed him every time he wants to eat now, he would be a 60 pound pug and I need to be careful because it is not good for dogs with cancer to be overweight. It can cause heart and breathing issues and other complications.
I think I’ll try breaking up his meals to 3 smaller meals and staggering them throughout the day instead of one feeding in the am and one in the pm. I’m hoping the extra meal will help him feel fuller…..but I don’t know. At this point his appetite is OUT OF CONTROL. My brother has a beagle in stage 4 right now and she has no appetite at all. She has to be fed with a baby bottle and sometimes she won’t even take that. I guess I am fortunate that we’re not in that boat. That would be sad too. If the meal staggering doesn’t work, maybe I’ll call the vet and see if we can cut his 5mg a day down to 2.5. He is taking the prednisone to try to keep the tumor inflammation under control. The deal was I would give him the steroids only if they were a small enough dosage to accomplish that without any ill side effects. Maybe his meds just need to be adjusted. Poor Sausage!
Has anyone else had this experience with prednisone?
Jules commented January 28, 2008 09:05 AM
Hi Sweetie,
Pred makes me the same way. It is the oddest feeling being hungry after you just ate. Usually for me, my system adjusts to it and the urge to eat the fridge, couch and kitchen sink subsides.
I do think staggering the meals with perhaps a biscut in between will help.
Odd, Chelsea shakes when she eats too. I figured she is cold... What is that all about?
Kiss that boy for me.
J
Leah commented January 28, 2008 09:07 AM
Poor Pugsley! My Oscar was only on Prednisone once for a short time for skin allergies, and he didn't seem so hungry as he was so thirsty. He peed big huge puddles in the house, which he never, ever does. I wish I had advice, but I don't. Hope things get better soon!
sl commented January 28, 2008 01:25 PM
Did you ask the doc about adding GBs to his diet? Banjo can't get enough of them and doc says they're a good filler.
Lori commented January 28, 2008 01:59 PM
I used to give him GB's a while back but had to stop because they make him too gassy :(
Dawn commented January 28, 2008 08:17 PM
Green beans are your friend. Daisy has to take Prednisone when her allergies are at their worst (usually June & July) and she's a ravenous beast even without the prednisone. Green beans add bulk and make them feel like they're getting full without adding too many calories. I put some on her dinner and also give her a snack of just green beans if she has a hard time making it between meals.
kim commented January 29, 2008 06:09 PM
try adding some frozen mixed veggies, they will help fill him up without a lot of added calories, my pugs also adore squash and zucchini!
Lori commented January 29, 2008 08:52 PM
That's 3 for GB's! What can I give the Sausage to keep the gas under control green beans make him gassy and crampy.
Nicole commented January 30, 2008 08:37 PM
I did! Before sabs died he was on prednisone and super hungry, so much so that he ate the leather handle of the only expensive handbag I owned that nick had just gotten me as a gift. I remember being so mad and yelling at him, I still think about how I shouldn't have yelled at him. :( So try and be forgiving! :)