Can predisolene steroid eye drops cause health problems for pet suffering from diabetes?

(June 10, 2010)

Prednisolone is a glucosteroid that is prescribed in order to treat inflammation and so it can be assumed that your dog is suffering from inflammation of the eye tissues. Consuming Prednisolone oral medications on a regular basis can cause a lot of secondary problems but the topical eye drops has fewer side effects. In some cases it may cause a slight elevation in your dog’s blood glucose levels. If he is receiving insulin and his blood sugar levels are affected by the Prednisolone eye drops, he may require more insulin.      

Dog diabetes or canine diabetes is a rather serious condition and can cause several secondary problems. This is because the excess sugar in the dog’s bloodstream travels to all the organs of his body and so every organ is affected to some extent. Eye problems are extremely common in diabetic dogs and generally the dog will develop cataracts rather quickly. Unlike cataracts in human beings, cataracts in dogs can develop within a matter of weeks and vision loss quickly follows. When it comes to cataracts, the sooner the problem is diagnosed, the sooner it can be treated or operated on. If you decide on an operation, it will be necessary to first stabilize his blood sugar levels. Dog eye care with diabetes is very important and it would require regular visits to the vet. In addition to the vet, it would also be advisable to take him to a canine ophthalmologist. This is recommended for all dogs with diabetes since diabetes almost always affects a dog’s eyesight, and if the problem is attended to on time it can save the dog’s vision.

You have not mentioned why your dog was prescribed Prednisolone eye drops but it is possible that your dog has Uvevitis. Uvevitis is the inflammation of the middle layer of the eye and is one of the most common complications in diabetic dogs. If your dog has uvevitis, cataract eye surgery will not be an option. Glaucoma and a detached retina are other eye problems in dogs that are caused by diabetes. Never feel awkward to ask your vet the exact problem that your dog is facing and even more importantly, make sure that you discuss all the possible side effects of a medication so that you are well prepared. Dog eye care and cat eye care are important issues and should be discussed in detail with a vet to minimize the risk of visual problems later.