Question by maybe714: Prednisone (meticorten) used for arthritis on dogs?
Has anyone used prednisone for their arthritic dog?

Did you see a change? How long until you saw an improvement?

My dog is taking it and the only “side effect” is that she is drinking and urinating more and is a little bit more agitated (takes her a while to calm down).

She is getting two 5 mg a morning for 4 days (day 4 now)
then every two days two 5mg a morning for 4 days
then every two days one 5 mg a morning for 4 days.

Thanks and please NO rude comments

Best answer:

Answer by Jessie
Did a vet prescribe this?

Steroids are usually a last-resort treatment for arthritis because of their side-effects. Have other treatments been tried? Which ones?

I have not personally used steroids for an arthritic dog, but I can see how they might provide some relief. I can’t see, however, why they would be used unless other, safer treatments have failed.

Excessive drinking and urination are very common with steroids, yes.

Give your answer to this question below!

Question by cal74sb: Short-term prednisone use in dogs …?
Has anyone ever heard of Prednisone being used short term (5 days) on a dog to alleviate problems caused by arthritis and hip dysplasia (pain management)? Has it worked? I always thought Prednisone, if at all, needs to be given longer than just a few days.

It would be great to hear from people who’ve actually gone through this. Thank you

Also: My 15 year old lab mix is running out of options for his arthritis. I’m just trying to gather info on how to help him. He’s got a great spirit still, but his legs have become wobbly and he stumbles a bit. I know what this means, I’m just trying to keep him comfy for as long as possible. Right now he’s on Adequan and Previcox … I’m not sure there’s anything left but Prednisone (which personally, I’d rather not give). Thanks.
Grinninh: Actually he is on NSAIDs. He is on Previcox. He used to be on Deramaxx but had complications after a year and we switched him to Previcox. He’s also on Adequan, which I understand to be even better than glucosamine. I inject him once every 3 weeks, but now I shortened it to once every 10 days to see if it makes a difference.

I’m curious about all those supplements you are listing. I’m currently looking at them and will address them with the Vet to see what the best course of treatment is. Thank you so much for your input

Best answer:

Answer by walking lady RIP Tom
I can’t comment on the short-term use of prednisone for arthritis. I had a dog with arthritis and he was on Rimadyl for it, but he was on prednisone (for many months) after he got autoimmune disease.

If this were my dog, I’d find a vet who does acupuncture to see if that will help keep him pain free. It’s done amazing things for all my greyhounds. And it’s better than drugs if it works.

What do you think? Answer below!