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My dog on prednisone: Are muscle weakness, panting, spots normal?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

18 pound dog was prescribed two 20mg of prednisone per day (so a total of 40mg of prednisone per day). After 5 days my dog had weak muscles and could barely jump on the bed. He was also panting and tired. Is this normal because it hasn’t been a week and he’s already having these symptoms - there’s also light brown spots next to his groin area and I’m not sure if that’s also a normal side effect.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Ana M, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on March 23rd, 2021

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. That is a very high dose of steroids for a dog his size. This dose will suppress his immune system in addition to all of the side effects that you are noticing at home. Steroids will cause panting, increased thirst, urination and hunger. Some dogs will experience skin and coat changes, muscle weakness/ loss and gastrointestinal ulcers in rare
cases. Doses this high are only used to treat severe life threatening conditions. I recommend contacting his veterinarian today to discuss his treatment plan. Typically the steroids are tapered once the primary disease is under control. There are other immunosuppressive drugs available that may have less side effects. Perhaps he would do better on a different medication. However, never stop steroids yourself as they need to be carefully tapered down. I hope this information helps!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on September 20th, 2017
Sorry, we cannot advise about medication dosage for your dog. This is against the law and potentially dangerous without having seen the dog before.

While it may seem similar to your other dog, there may be something else going on, or a condition that precludes the use of steroids.

It's actually odd for them to both have the same problem and does make me suspicious of mange. Even if they tested negative before, I reccomend bringing taking them back for another test, because it's possible that it was missed before. If they do have mange, then prednisone can make the condition worse.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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