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Can I stop my cat's Prednisolone cold turkey for pain medication?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 10.5 lbs

Hello. My cat Nugget was prescribed Prednisolone a month ago for some Gi issues. He's taking 2mg a day,1 mg in the morning and 1 at night. My doctor wants me to take him off the prednisolone so I can give him some pain medication. Is it safe to stop giving it to him cold turkey?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on August 30th, 2017

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I would not recommend just stopping the prednisone. It is best to decrease the dose by 1/2 every 3-5 days until Nugget is receiving 0.5 mg every other day for at least 3 doses. In the mean time, Nugget might do well with Buprenorphine, another pain medication that is safe to use while decreasing the prednisolone. Please discuss this with Nugget's veterinarian, but do not stop the pred. cold turkey.

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