No, unlike humans, ferrets are not much inclined toward getting the side
effects of Pred.  Whew!  Some have a problem with ulcers, esp. if they
were already inclined toward them which is why some are on Carafate and
why people repeatedly mention giving Prednisolone or Prednisone with
food.  After long term of high doses use some have problems with weight
gain, especially if they also started out with little muscle mass (a too
common problem, sadly) or have also been dropping muscle mass from long
term high dose treatment.  Also with long term use of high doses a few
lose fur.  (Note that the doses used in conjunction with either
Florinef/Fludrocort or Percorten for adrenal product replacement in those
with fully removed adrenals on each side to avoid Addison's crises are
very low doses, but that doses for Insulinoma, lymphoma/lymphosarcoma,
carcinoma, etc.  can get high.)
 
When a ferret who is on Pred get edema or ascites then it pays to
look at the usual causes in ferrets, including heart disease (esp.
cardiomyopathy types), lymphoma/lymphosarcoma, and kidney disease.
 
There are some excellent past posts of Dr. Bruce Williams on Pred
side-effects in -- I think -- both the archives of the FML and FHL.
 
Consider, too, that some ferrets simply do eat too much, so if that is
combined with too little exercise, and things which add to the laying
down of fat like taking high Pred doses, or having adrenal neoplasia
(which sometimes causes thoracic thinness and abdominal fat but can
cause fat to be laid down anywhere -- even inside the thoracic cavity
on rare occasion)...
[Posted in FML issue 4740]