Medication question, quick!

[BillyDaveysDaughter]

I'm reluctant to call the vet on a Sunday for a simple question really. My dog suffers with chronic spinal pain and anxiety - she takes gabapentin and amitriptyline every day, but after a recent acute episode of spinal inflammation she has been on tramadol twice a day too, for about 4 days.

She's not improving much, so the vet put up a prednisone taper to start her on yesterday - I couldn't collect the tablets until today, and had intended to start her on them tomorrow once the tramadol is out of her system.

But she's so poorly and stiff this afternoon that I've given her the steroid medication straight away. My question is - can I continue to give her the tramadol as well?

From what I read I can, and the vet wouldn't have given her anything without warning me of contraindications - but I'd like some. reassurance!

Poor pupper. She is cuddled up with me on the sofa and has been promised some cooked chicken for dinner.

I had a cat on steroids and tramadol... I'm sure they're fine, but you'd be able to Google whether they're contraindicated anyway.

Yes steroids and tramadol are absolutely fine together

I'm sure vet would have been very clear if they couldn't be mixed in dogs.

I'm also 100% sure tramadol is fine with steroids in humans (I was on both together for over 18months).

Plus steroids take a few days to start to build up enough in system, so I'd say sooner was better than later.

The steroids helped me massively - really hope they do the same for your dog.

Thanks all. I had Googled and was reasonably sure it was okay - she had a steroid at 5.30 ish and her usual two other drugs plus a tramadol at around 7pm. She's perked up and is already moving better! She's had chronic spinal pain for 6 years, since an op on a ruptured disc. Occasionally they think bits of brittle disc break off and cause an acute pain episode. This is about the 4th taper she's had - the day she deteriorates as we taper the steroids, and when she can no longer enjoy her short walks, is when we'll call it a day. But inbetween, she's her usual cranky self.

She's been doing that weird thing of suddenly licking the air and gulping madly, followed by manic carpet licking and rushing outside to eat grass, so she might be a bit nauseous. But she's eaten her dinner happily enough and it hasn't been ejected onto our new carpet yet.

They are different types of medications with different actions, don't worry