My dog has sudden neck pain. Can I give prednisone if vets are closed?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Rugby. You cannot use Rimadyl if she is taking prednisone. Giving these two medications together has a very high risk of causing gastrointestinal ulcers. Personally I do not start Rimadyl until a dog has been off of prednisone for two weeks. It can be done sooner if the dog is given additional medications to protect the GI tract, but it is still risky. Is she taken a muscle relaxer? In dogs with severe neck pain, I will use prednisone, gabapentin, a muscle relaxer and an additional pain medication such as tramadol. If her pain cannot be controlled though, she may need to see a neurologist for surgery. I hope this information helps!

Prednisolone has anti inflammatory properties so it' s unlikely to cause a worsening of pain. I would continue it. Is the neck pain related to a disc herniation or is it muscular ? Any improvements? You should really consider veterinary acupuncture, it works very well helping both conditions !

Great question! No, you absolutely CANNOT give a steroid (prednisone) at the same time as a NSAID (Metacam). This is a very big no-no! This can cause huge, life-threatening side effects. He can take a muscle relaxant and/or an opiate along with the steroid. You should also you vet about these medications as they are prescription medications. All these medications work synergistically together. You should also consider acupuncture. It works wonders for these injuries. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

The answer to your question really depends on when the injection was given, what type of steroid it was, what dose of steroid was given and what his Prednisone regimen has been, so your vet will need to answer that question. If your vet is already closed for the day, it will likely be safer to skip his Prednisone dose tonight and call them first thing in the morning to discuss when to resume his Prednisone. Some steroid injections only last for 12 hours, but some last for much longer, so you do not want Chester to have too high of a steroid dose tonight. Hopefully you can talk to them tonight to figure out the best thing to do. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It does sound like some kind of painful reaction. If he is otherwise normal now, I would just continue to monitor him. If it continues, have Jack re-examined by your vet to see if there is a medical cause for the sudden yelping. Side effects of prednisone can include anxiety or restlessness, and I wonder if that could be contributing to the new behavior.

Oh no, that's not good. If there isn't an ER vet in your area, there may be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. Rest Jay Jay as much as possible until you get him into a vet. No running, jumping, or playing. Take him out to toilet on a leash, and bring him right back in when he's done. Please do not give him any human pain medications, as many are toxic to dogs and can be fatal if given. Best of luck.

I do not recommend giving any medications unless directed by your vet. He could have a corneal ulcer, infection, scratch, or foreign body in his eye. Your vet can do some testing to diagnose and then prescribe the best medication to treat. He may need an antibiotic to treat.