Is Rimadyl safe for my dog's neck pain if she's on Prednisone?

That sounds like neck pain and it could be from disc disease or other causes. Rimadyl can help but a lot of dogs with neck pain need multimodal pain management. And, it can take time to resolve, especially if disc related. The length of time of pain management can be variable but often is required for weeks if not longer dependent on the case, cause, response to treatment, side effects, etc. At your dogs age you will need to be very careful with Rimadyl as it can be hard on the kidneys. Older dogs especially benefit from multimodal pain management to try to decrease drugs like Rimadyl dose and dosing frequency. Rest is key, ideally crate rest. For disc disease this is typically 4 to 8 weeks, but this is case dependent and is best guided by the vet who examines the patient. Anyway to have a vet come to the house to see if this helps with the vet anxiety? I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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.

While a washout period is recommended between NSAIDs like Rimadyl and corticosteroids like prednisone the actual number of days to wait has not been determined by a research study. I typically recommend a 7 day washout but there are many times I have started prednisone right away when I thought it necessary. You could ask your vet about using gastroprotectant medications like antacids to help lessen the likelihood of side effects.

I definitely agree that prednisone tapering should take much longer but if you have already switched him to Rimadyl you cannot give him the prednisone anymore. if you have not switched him yest you should do a much slower tapering over a period of at least 2 weeks, reducing gradually every 5-7 days.

It’s safe to use the prednisone with the dexamethasone shot, they are in the same class of steroids. I would wait more like 5-7 days between the last prednisone and the Rimadyl. Longer if Toby is prone to stomach upset or diarrhea. When used closely together, these two classes of medications can cause bleeding stomach ulcers.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Unfortunately, we are not allowed to recommend any treatment or dosage of medications on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Legally, a pet must be physically examined by a vet before any treatment can be prescribed or recommended. Rimadyl can be used for any muscular or joint inflammation or pain, so it is probably the right choice for Westley. If you get in touch with your local vets, they should be able to advise about the dose for Westley. You will also find Rimadyl dosage on the leaflet, that should be provided with the tablets that were prescribed for Winston.