Dilemma: Leah & Joy

[SQ]

Leah and Joy are both showing signs of pt - curled paws, head butting, stiff front legs in the case of Joy. It has been a very slow progression so pred would likely help a great deal.
Dilemma, do I continue giving metacam for pain - both are crippled (hind leg) with arthritis, and have limited mobility
or do I treat with pred .... (pred should not be given with a NSAID)
I don't want to give codeine because of the side effects related to digestion...
Pred and codene are the only 2 pain meds my vet is willing to provide.

Leah was 3 in Dec, Joy will be 3 sometime this summer ... by Aug at the latest

Both girls are eating little but surprisingly they have not lost any weight.
Both have been depressed since Joey (Leah's 3 yr old son) was pts last week.

 

[Godmother]

Does Pred have any pain-relieving properties?

 

[jorats]

Are you sure they have arthritis? I've had plenty of rats with hind end degeneration and were not in pain. Also, HED is a symptom of PT.
If I were you, I'd do the pred and watch them closely. If you do see they are in pain, then stop the pred and start the metacam.

 

[SQ]

Awhile ago my vet x-rayed Joy and said it was arthritis in her joints and hip. He said they are badly deteriorated. He said that Leah has arthritis as well.
Each girl has one hind leg twisted sideways under her body that she can not use.
Once started on metacam, their activity and mobility increased and their tails stopped knotting up in muscle spasms.

I am wondering if I should risk switching the pain med to codene or risk having them on both pred and matacam or just try stay with the metacam.

 

[MomRat]

Can you give Glucosamine to help with the HED alongside the Pred? I know its not a painkiller, but its also not an NSAID...

 

[mamarat]

If they were mine I would keep the metacam since it's working for them right now, especially at their age. But again this is just my opinion. Good luck with your sweeties.

 

[jorats]

Ah, ok, so xrays show arthritis. Ya, I'd definitely keep the metacam and hope for the best.

 

[lilspaz68]

pred has anti-inflammatory properties that might help with the arthritis. I would try the pred since the PT is progressive. If it doesn't work, put them back on the metacam.

Found this...you are on palliative care now so I wouldn't worry too much about long term effects

http://arthritis-symptom.com/Osteoarthr ... ations.htm

Osteoarthritis Medications- Steroids

Corticosteroids are the most potent anti-inflammatory agent; however they have negative effects in the long-term. A good drug is prednisone, but it is seldom used because it has long-term side effects, which scare both physicians and patients. These medications are useful in reducing the whole-body disease with symptoms such as fever, anemia, weight loss, neuropathy and vasculitis (blood vessel inflammation).

Osteoporosis is on of the most feared long-term effects of steroid use. If the dose of prednisone is more than 7.5 mg per day over six months, a bone scan should be done. If bone density is decreased, treatment with etidronate and calcium may prevent bone loss and permit the continued use of steroid therapy. Prednisone is the preferred agent because its cheap and effective.

 

[jorats]

But does pred take care of the pain? I suppose it might if it reduces enough inflammation.