Excessive Sleeping While On Prednisolone....very Concerned

[Pixelated Cat]

Hello everyone! I posted yesterday about taking Pixie to the vet after a bout of coughing episodes. After chest x-rays he was diagnosed with asthma and also has bronchitis at the moment. He is on prednisolone to get the swelling down in his airways, and we are waiting for the radiologist to read the x-rays to figure out the next steps to manage his asthma. Ever since I have given him his prednisolone he has been very sleepy. He didn't even play last night like he usually does. I see that breathing is easier for him now that he has medicine, he is just sleeping all the time. He does get up occasionally to have a snack and use his litter box, then it's back to sleeping again. Is this normal with prednisolone, or is this just part of the healing process? Should I be worried? Any advice and/or others' experiences would be great. Thank you in advance

 

[Cara80]

interesting, my cat is on prednisolone (2mg daily dose and 4mg when in a flare) for another issue (IBD) and the steroids have the opposite affect, he's too active and since he's almost 18 I worry he needs more sleep.

I'm guessing your cat is exhausted from the stress of going to the vet and also the bronchitis making him feel under the weather and tired. I don't know if you should be worried, but i'd call your vet and let them know what's going on. I think that would put your mind at ease

 

[stephanietx]

Did he get any kind of antibiotic shot, or only the prednisolone? My kitty gets prednisolone for her asthma about every 6-8 months and the only side effect she gets is increased appetite.

 

[jen]

My cat has been on Pred for the past 6ish months and it makes her ravenous...

Edit: you said sleepy not hungry lol, it did not seem to change her sleep but she is also 16 so sleeps most of the day anyway

 

[LTS3]

My cat is on pred for IBD and asthma. The pred doesn't make him sleepy. Your cat might just be exhausted from the vet visits and the coughing. You can mention it to the vet but it's likely nothing to be concerned about.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Hello everyone! I posted yesterday about taking Pixie to the vet after a bout of coughing episodes. After chest x-rays he was diagnosed with asthma and also has bronchitis at the moment. He is on prednisolone to get the swelling down in his airways, and we are waiting for the radiologist to read the x-rays to figure out the next steps to manage his asthma. Ever since I have given him his prednisolone he has been very sleepy. He didn't even play last night like he usually does. I see that breathing is easier for him now that he has medicine, he is just sleeping all the time. He does get up occasionally to have a snack and use his litter box, then it's back to sleeping again. Is this normal with prednisolone, or is this just part of the healing process? Should I be worried? Any advice and/or others' experiences would be great. Thank you in advance

I agree with others, that Pred shouldn't make the cat sleepy per se.

If you only started the Pred yesterday or the day before, Pred does take a bit of time to start working, depending on the cat's issues, level of inflammation and other factors -- usually 24-48+ hours, depending.

I would think if you continue to see lethargy that can't be explained by, say, the hot summer weather or the like, to definitely call the vet and run the issue by him or her.

Hang in there! My kitty has asthma/allergies and is on steroids for it.

 

[Pixelated Cat]

Thank you everyone for your responses! He didn't get any antibiotic shot as the mucus from him sneezing was clear. The vet said she was glad we brought him in when we did...had we waited a few more days he would have needed to be in the oxygen tent. The airways in his x-rays were huge from the swelling, and you could see the "donuts" (fluid filled air sacs) in his lungs. He is waking up a bit better today, and I'm starting to see the side effect of being hungry in him. This morning he could hardly wait for his breakfast. I usually serve both the wet and dry food together for his breakfast, and he usually likes them served at the same time and won't eat one without the other. This morning he didn't care...as soon as I put the wet food down, I turned around to grab his kibble and he had his face buried in the wet food, scarfing it down. He ate all the wet food and followed up with kibble. He ate his dinner this evening too, and he is eating again right now lol. He is up and around this evening too, he is just not as active. I have seen him try to run but he gets winded really easy so he takes a lot of breaks, mostly in my lap and on his window seat. Like everyone said in previous posts, I now believe he was exhausted from the vet visit and from the coughing/illness. Since he is up and around tonight I'm going to watch him for the next two days to see if he improves anymore before worrying any further. Thank you for all of your support.
I'm sorry the picture is not the greatest quality but it shows he is up and around <3

 

[stephanietx]

He's a handsome boy! I'm glad he's eating better and feeling better. I'm betting that the lethargy was caused by him just not feeling good. Sounds like he was a pretty sick kitty. Keep us posted on his progress.