Budesonide or Prednisone, finding the best treatment for IBD in your dog?

For years pet owners have turned to the steroids such as prednisone or prednisolone for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease in dogs. However, with the introduction of Budesonide that has changed for many owners.

What is Budesonide?

Budesonide is a synthetic, water soluble corticosteroid used in humans and animals to treat inflammatory diseases such as IBD and allergies. It can be administered topically, as an inhalant for allergies or orally and has been show to be fifteen times more potent than prednisolone

Many pet owners that use budesonide long-term have stated that they notice a significant decrease in the side effects that came with prednisone administration.

Potential Side-Effects of Budesonide

Since it is a steroid, many of the side-effects owners noted were similar such as increased appetite, increased thirst (polydipsia) followed by excessive urination (polyuria) and changes in coat quality. These side effects were slightly less common with Budesonide than Prednisone.

Budesonide was shown to cause significant suppression of the activity in the hypthalamic-pitutitary-adrenal axis. This correlates with the side effects noted.

Although noted to a lesser degree there is of course the risk of more serious side effects such as weakness, severe muscle loss, and black stools from internal bleeding.

In addition, owners are warned to not discontinue this medication abruptly, as it can cause severe weakness, vomiting, collapse and, in severe cases, sudden death. This is the tapering off period that most patients need when taking steroids and prevents adrenal shock.

How does Budesonide stand up to Prednisone?

To determine this, I turned to research studies and unfortunately found little information available. There was one major study that looked into the the differences of the two drugs which found little to no difference in the side effects or efficacy.

The remission rates of IBD in dogs administered either budesonide or prednisone, were fairly similar. In those given budesonide remission was noted in 78% of dogs and 69% in the prednisone group, which was only a slight difference.

The frequency of adverse effects was similar between the two groups as well. In conclusion, was no major difference in remission rates or adverse effects in either group. The study mentioned only ran for six weeks and unfortunately there aren’t many more investigations into the use of budesonide as a treatment of IBD in dogs.

Of course many of the drugs used for IBD have success based on an individual patient basis. Therefore, if you are looking for alternative therapies for IBD, definitely discuss budesonide with your vet.

Are you already using budesonide as a treatment in your pet? Let us know below how is your dog tolerating the steroid?