Azathioprine side effects in dogs

Azathioprine side effects in dogs

Azathioprine is an immunosuppressive drug that is used for the treatment of variety of illness in dogs. The canine formula is most commonly used one which treat several diseases for instance Anemia, Arthritis, inflammatory bowel disorders and other illness in dogs. If a veteran prescribes it, it is considered safe. But, actually Azathioprine side effects in dogs are quite many; Dog’s condition should be regularly monitored when it is being treated with Azathioprine. Make sure you do not substitute Imuran for Azathioprine. This is because this drug is only registered for human use due to Azathioprine side effects in dogs this is not FDA approved
Diarrhea:
This is the most common Azathioprine side effect in dogs. It may be temporary or transient. The diarrhea is normal if it stays for a day or two but if it exceeds from few days the doctor should be immediately consulted. The dog should be kept hydrated during such bouts of diarrhea.

Azathioprine Drug Interactions:

Azathioprine when used in combination with other drugs proves alarming in a few cases. It should not be given in conjunction with Allopurinol and muscle relaxants or any antidotes. Also make sure if you are treating your dog with any vitamins of supplements, the doctors then prescribes the Azathioprine. This is because sometimes Azathioprine may not react or respond as it should originally and may lead to allergic or inflammatory reactions

Azathioprine side effects- Lethargy, Fever and loss of appetite:
The dog should be monitored keenly after the treatment begins. If there is any observation of your dog being lethargic or you feel there is loss of appetite or the temperature rise is notified, in such cases the veteran should be consulted. This is because these symptoms can prove harmful for dog, as they are not occurring normally due to any small infection in the body but as a reaction to the Azathioprine taken in.

Azathioprine side effects -Vomiting:
In some cases it is observed that the dogs vomit just as soon as they have an intake of Azathioprine. Take the dog to the vet immediately as this vomit is the drug induced effect which can be due to pancreatitis, a life threatening condition. Immediate medication and treatment is needed in such conditions. The dogs may go through hospitalization and will also be treated with intravenous therapies. Once the dog suffers from pancreatitis it should be monitored closely every time Azathioprine is given.

Azathioprine Drug Sensitivity

According to medical surveys it is concluded that almost 10% of dogs are hyper sensitive to Azathioprine. This is due to the absence of enzymes that are needed for the metabolism of the drug. The dog should under go blood screening regularly for indication of immune suppression. Incase the conditions worsens or there are any traces of decreases blood level the Azathioprine therapy is discontinued.

Azathioprine side effects- Tumor growth:
Some dogs are suffering from malignant or dormant tumors. In some cases during Azathioprine therapies the dog’s tumor in any region of the body under went growth. There fore dogs with tumor or cancer cells should not be treated with Azathioprine.