My old dog has arthritis. Should I increase prednisone or try Metacam?

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.

I am sorry to hear about Tasha! Many dogs take NSAIDs (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) long term with no negative consequences. It is the rare case where the liver or kidney may be affected or the GI tract experiences upset. This is why we recommend blood work to monitor every 6 to 12 months when pets take the medicine long term, and often the effects are reversible. If your dog is in pain, I would follow your vet's advice and use the medication. There are other NSAIDs also available, a newer one called Galliprant is supposed to have less risks though it hasn't been used as long, so we don't know for certain if those claims are true. Other options also include omega fatty acid supplements, glucosamine chondroitin supplements, Adequan injections, acupuncture and laser therapy, so you can ask your vet about these options as well if you decide to take a different route.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If well-tolerated, the Metacam should not shorten her lifetime. I would recommend you continue to monitor the bloodwork closely to make sure that it is being well tolerated in which case it should not affect her life expectancy. Best of luck!

If I'm understanding her medication plan correctly, I'm a bit concerned because Metacam and prednisolone should not be given together - this combination of drugs can cause serious side effects such as stomach ulcers and internal bleeding, and I do not know of any veterinarians who would recommend giving both at the same time. I would recommend calling your vet in the morning to clarify the medication instructions, because it could be very dangerous for Peapumpkin to take both of these medications at once.

Metacam is similar to ibuprofen or naproxen and has both anti-inflammatory and pain relief properties. In general I feel like drugs in this class work better for arthritis than medications that only treat pain like tramadol. Each dog is different, and some dogs need multiple medications to relieve the pain associated with arthritis.

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This is a great question. Long-term administration of *any* medication will have pros and cons, but in my opinion if the prednisone is keeping Sasha comfortable, she can definitely stay on it long-term. Side effects and concerns associated with prednisone are all dose-dependent, and Sasha's dose of 5mg every other day is an extremely low and safe dose. I would be very comfortable keeping her at this dose long-term, and would not expect any harm to come from it. We have a long list of conditions that are treated with prednisone, and I have many patients who must be on prednisone for life. These patients tend to do great, often on MUCH higher doses than Sasha is receiving. As long as your vet is comfortable with you keeping her on prednisone, go for it! Hope this helps! Feel free to request a consultation if you'd like to discuss Sasha's management in more detail.

No, it's very dangerous to give an NSAID like Metacam at the same time as a steroid - so I would definitely NOT do this. If you think Romy is painful, I would contact your veterinarian to ask about a different pain medication such as tramadol or gabapentin, which can safely be given with steroids.