Behaviour change after Prednisolone in cats

89 reports to the FDA describe behaviour change in cats given Prednisolone. That is 7.2% of all reports for this medicine, compared with 5.4% across reports for all cat medicines.

89Reports

48%Marked serious

26%Recovered

13%Died or euthanised

6 daysTypical onset

How soon it started

Same day

9 13%

1–2 days

16 23%

3–7 days

14 20%

1–4 weeks

16 23%

Over a month

15 21%

How the animals did

Recovered

21 24%

Recovered with lasting effects

2 2.2%

Still unwell when reported

33 37%

Died

4 4.5%

Euthanised

8 9.0%

Not known

21 24%

Problems reported at the same time

38 43%

28 31%

17 19%

14 16%

Restlessness or agitation

14 16%

Didn't work as expected

13 15%

Death

12 13%

Itching

12 13%

Age of the animals

Under 1 year

1–3 years

4–7 years

8–11 years

12+ years

About this medicine

Prednisolone reduces inflammation and immune activity.

Steroids commonly cause increased thirst, urination and appetite, especially at higher doses.

Questions owners ask

Can Prednisolone cause behaviour change in cats?: 89 reports link the two, but a report alone does not prove the medicine was the cause: other illnesses, other medicines or coincidence can be involved. Your vet can judge it for your animal.
How soon after a dose was it reported?: In half of the reports with dates, it started within 6 days of the first dose.
What should I do?: Don't give another dose until you've spoken to your vet, and keep the packaging so you can tell them the product and dose. Your vet can also report it to the FDA (or you can, through the manufacturer or FDA form 1932a).

Behaviour change with similar medicines

Behaviour change after Prednisone 65 reports · 7.3% of its reports
Behaviour change after Dexamethasone + Neomycin + Thiabendazole 55 reports · 6.9% of its reports
Behaviour change after Dexamethasone 64 reports · 8.4% of its reports

All reported side effects of Prednisolone in cats · Medicines most reported with behaviour change