Prednisolone Acetate for Felines

Prednisolone acetate is one form of prednisolone, a steroid drug. Steroids are medicines that act like natural hormones in the body, and so find applications in both the veterinary world, for animals like cats and dogs and also as human medication. When a vet administers prednisolone acetate to a cat, he may need to give more medication than he would for another animal such as a dog, as, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual, cats do not respond as efficiently to the drug as other animals. As of August 2011, the Merck Veterinary Manual specifies a dose of up to 1 milligram per kilogram of body weight as appropriate for a cat.

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    • The steroids in the body are immune signaling hormones. They move around the body and regulate the effects of immune responses, such as inflammation, swelling and pain. Prednisolone is an active form of steroid, which means that the body does not need to convert it into another form for it to perform a useful role. After the vet administers the medicine to the cat, it interacts with certain immune system cells and reduces the level of other chemical signals that promote the development of inflammation and the associated redness and pain.

    Forms

    • Various forms of prednisolone acetate for cats exist. An eyedrop form that contains 1 percent of the steroid in a liquid is suitable for eye conditions. Tablets that contain a few milligrams of drug can help treat other veterinary issues. Vets can also deliver the drug into the cat's body through an injection.

    Veterinary Conditions

    • As prednisolone acetate is a steroid drug, it can be a useful treatment for allergic conditions or issues caused by an oversensitive immune system. Relevant allergies include skin irritations and inflamed eyes, along with asthma and bronchitis. Autoimmune diseases, where the cat's body produces an unusually high level of inflammation over a long period of time, are also treatable, such as arthritis. The steroid reduces the immune response and does not kill microbial infections, so it is not a useful medication and may be harmful for animals that have infections.

    Partial Treatments

    • Some cats may suffer from conditions that vets can treat with another drug, along with prednisolone acetate as a second drug. An example of one of these conditions is feline toxoplasmosis, where a vet may treat the cat with an antibiotic and the steroid, in an exception to the general rule where steroids are inappropriate for use in an infection.

    Risks

    • Some cats may be unsuitable candidates for prednisolone acetate treatment. For example, cats with ulcers on a cornea can heal more slowly when on the medication. Some cats are allergic to the drug. The steroid can also be dangerous to the function of a cat's adrenal glands, if the vet administers a dosage that is too high, or if the cat has to take the drug over a long period of time.