Prednisone for dog's slipped disc: Does it dissolve or pinch nerves?

Question

My red healer was diagnosed with a slipped disc in her neck. The vet prescribed 3 weeks of prednisone. The vet explained this will eventually dissolve the disc which will help dogs condition. This just doesn't make sense to how without the disc I would think the vertebraes then would pinch the nerves. Pet's info: Dog | Alano | Female | spayed | 12 years and 5 months old | 60 lbs

Linda G, MS, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello. Your veterinarian was just trying to make things as simple as possible. The goal of the prednisone is to only reduce inflammation, & once this resolves, Slick should feel much better. What may happen is for the soft intervetebral disc to calcify, thus removing potential movement & subsequent pinching of the nerves. A calcified disc reduces mobility & thus pain, for the most part. An unexpected move or jerk could cause substantial pain. It is important to only walk Slick with a harness, & if need be, keep her on a good anti-inflammatory medication as needed. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Prednisone for dog's slipped disc: Does it dissolve or pinch nerves?

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