steroids or anti-inflammatories?

[planetx]

Hi, I've posted before about my cat who has problems with luxating patellas. She's been managing quite well for about a year since surgery (with limited success). Last week she became gradually worse, had increasing difficulty walking.. I had some metacam which I gave her for a few days which seemed to help, and then I took her to the vet. Vet did xrays, said her knees weren't too bad but this problem was coming from her lower back. Xray of back was fine, so he diagnosed a probable slipped disc and put her on steroids. She's been on prednisolone for 5 days now, and seems to be in more pain and less mobile than before we went to the vet and she was taking metacam.

Just wondering if anyone knows how long it should take for steroids to work, and do they even have much effect on pain?

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Xrays of her back didn't show anything, yet the Vet said she probably has a slipped disc?????  Wouldn't that show on an xray? 

Well, whatever, that really doesn't answer your question.   First off, a steroid IS an anti-inflammatory (per DH, who is a nurse), so not sure I can answer your title question.  Now, as to whether they have any effect on pain, it depends on whether the pain is caused by inflammation.  (again, per DH the nurse

)  But is not directly a pain pill.   Metacam, on the other hand, is a pain medication, however, many, many, many people here on TCS advise against giving it to their cats because of possible side effects. 

If I were you, I would give your Vet a call and tell them what is going on and see what they say.  After 5 days she should not be getting worse, poor baby.

 

[planetx]

Would soft tissue damage show up on xray - vet said xrays were fine, but since her back is obviously very painful that it was likely to be disc related. It's probably a side-effect from the abnormal gait caused by the hip dysplasia and luxating patellas.

One week on the steroids and I'm not happy. She is hardly moving at all, and hasn't eaten for quite a while. Is sleeping excessively one of the side effects?

I hate giving metacam, I've had problems before with it - but this cat is in pain, and it's never going to get any better, so I got to the point where I'm willing to risk the side-effects now. My poor cat, she doesn't deserve any of this

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

No, she certainly doesn't deserve to be in pain, and if it was a choice to be in constant pain or face a possible issue in the future, I might go with Metacam too. 

Did you call your Vet and ask what's next since she isn't getting better, but worse.  That should probably be your first move, and see what they say.  Since she isn't improving, maybe it's not a slipped disc afterall and they need to give her something else to try to help her.