My vet prescribed Redipred for my dog.  What does that mean?

Prednisone and Prednisolone are corticosteroid drugs, used to treat a variety of illnesses in animals (as well as humans).  It is sold in Australia for animal use under brand names including Redipred, Pred-X, Macrolone and Microlone.  The different brands offer the same active ingredient in different strengths and different delivery methods (tablet, liquid etc) and you should check with your vet if you intend to change between the brands.

Prednisone and Prednisolone are commonly prescribed to treat allergies (skin allergies and asthmatic reactions are common), inflammations, and sometimes autoimmune diseases and cancers.

This article answers some of your common questions, such as how Redipred helps your dog, the dosage for Redipred, and the side-effects of Redipred for dogs.

How does Redipred help my dog or cat?

Prednisone and prednisolone both mimic cortisol (a hormone that occurs naturally in the body).  Cortisol

My vet prescribed Neocort for my dog.  What does that mean?

Neocort for dogs is a cream that combines antibiotic, anti-inflammatory and anaesthetic effect to help remove the pain and irritation of the skin lesion so that it can heal

Neocort is a topical cream that is often prescribed for dogs with skin irritation or skin conditions caused by neomycin-sensitive bacterial organisms.  Neocort has three active ingredients and these work to make your dog more comfortable and heal in three different ways.

This article answers some of your common questions, such as how Neocort helps your dog, the dosage for Neocort, and the side-effects of Neocort for dogs.

How does Neocort help my dog?

Neocort has three active ingredients that each help make your dog more comfortable and heal faster:

• Neomycin (as sulfate),
• Hydrocortisone (as acetate)
• Lignocaine (as hydrochloride) 

Neomycin is an antibiotic that fights bacteria in the body. It is one of the classification of antibiotics known as aminoglycosides,

My vet prescribed Doxylin/Doryx/Vibravet or Doxycycline for my cat.  What does that mean?

Doxycycline is an antibiotic drug, used to treat a variety of illnesses in cats.  It is sold in Australia under the brand names Apex Doxy,  Doxylin, Doryx and Vibravet, as well as under the drug name Doxycycline.   The different brands offer the same active ingredient in different strengths and different delivery methods (tablet, suspension, paste, etc) and you should check with your vet if you intend to change between the brands.. 

Doxylin is often used by vets to treat cats with upper respiratory infections, sometimes called “kitty colds”, because Doxylin treats a broad spectrum of bacteria.  It can also be used to treat infections of the mouth (including periodontal disease) and urinary tract infections.  Doxycycline can also be used in the treatment of heartworm in cats - it attacks a bacteria found inside heartworms, weakening the heartworm. 

Other brand names for Doxycycline

My vet put my pet on Meloxicam / Mobic / Loxicom / Metacam.  What does that mean?

Meloxicam is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), used as a painkiller or to relieve pain, inflammation and fever in dogs (and more rarely,cats).  It is often prescribed for pets that are diagnosed with osteoarthritis, and is also used to manage post-surgical pain.

Other brand names for meloxicam are Mobic, Loxicom and Metacam - whilst these medications contain the same active ingredient, dosages may differ, and you should check with your vet if you intend to change between the brands.

This article answers some of your common questions, such as how Meloxicam helps your pet, the dosage for Meloxicam, how soon does Meloxicam relieve your pet’s pain and the side-effects of Meloxicam for pets.

Meloxicam and osteoarthritis?

Meloxicam is often prescribed when your pet has progressively worsening inflammation of its joints (your vet may have called this osteoarthritis, or  Degenerative Joint Disease

Carprofen is prescribed for treat osteoarthritis in dogs and is also used to provide pain relief after surgery.

What is osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis (also called Degenerative Joint Disease or DJD) refers to the medical condition when your pet has progressively worsening inflammation of a joint.  In a healthy joint, which moves smoothly and painlessly, cartilage acts as a cushion - when the cartilage in the joint starts deteriorating, or breaking down, it is called osteoarthritis. This can happen due to “wear & tear” or due to disease, age, injury, repetitive stress, or obesity. 

You may have seen your dog show pain, or a decreased range of motion or your pet may develop inflammation or bone spurs.  Joints most likely to be affected are the legs and lower back.   

Dogs are really good at hiding their pain, so the early symptoms of osteoarthritis may not be immediately seen by pet owners.  Here are some signs to watch for in your dog:

• Stiffness, lameness, limping, or difficulty

Lovan is used by veterinarians to reduce anxiety and aggression in dogs and cats. It is the equivalent to the human drug Prozac, but in a different dose.

Anxiety in pets

Pets can suffer many different types of anxiety, and your pet may be showing that anxiety in different ways. It may be a fear or phobia that your pet shows - when new people arrive at the house, or when a storm approaches, or it may be separation anxiety (this affects approximately 14% of dogs!), which may result in destructiveness, distressed vocalization (crying, howling or constant barking), or “housesoiling” (a nicer term for the inappropriate mess that a distressed animal may cause in your home!).  (read more about Anxiety in Dogs)

Your cat or dog’s mental health is important, and a clinically distressed or anxious pet can be very distressing - this Sydney Morning Herald article describes the behaviors that were helped after pets received treatment for their anxiety (many with Lovan (referred to by its active

Cardisure is prescribed by vets to treat dogs with heart diseases.  Cardisure is used for congestive heart failure (CHF) which can be caused by either:

• Mitral valve disease (MVD)
• Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)

Heart disease in dogs

Heart disease affects about 10% of all dogs.  Some of the causes of heart diseases can be:

•  a valve defect (eg. mitral valve disease) 
• a cardiac muscle disease (eg. dilated cardiomyopathy) or 
• a parasite like heartworm.  

Congestive heart failure in a dog means that the dog’s heart is not able to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs.  The symptoms increase as the heart’s health (and performance) declines.

Managing my dog’s heart disease

It's very upsetting to learn that your dog has heart disease.  But it is important to know that, whilst there is no cure for heart failure, it can usually be managed with medication and care.  

A dog with congestive heart failure (CHF) can live a long and full life if problems are diagnosed early and proper treatment