Dog · Canis lupus familiaris · typical adult weight 2.00–80.00 kg
Prednisolone is dosed at 0.5–1 mg/kg PO q12-24h in dogs, per Papich MG. Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, Prednisolone, Prednisolone Acetate, Small Animal Dosage — Dogs, printed p.669 (corpus p.697) — SOURCE EDITION: Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs — ISBN 9780323244855, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323244855 — CEILING: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, Prednisolone monograph, printed p.1088, Anti-inflammatory agent — "Dogs: 0.5 - 1 mg/kg PO once daily; not to exceed 40 mg/dog (NOT mg/kg) in large breed dogs. Dose […]" The 40 mg is a DAILY total.. Prednisolone is used in dogs for Anti-inflammatory, Immunosuppressive. Routes documented in dogs: PO. A typical adult dog weighs 2.00–80.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 2 cited dose rules for Prednisolone in dogs, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Delta-Cortef, Prelone
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO | 0.5–1 mg/kgmax 40 mg total | q12-24h | Taper after 5-7 days | Anti-inflammatory |
| Papich MG. Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, Prednisolone, Prednisolone Acetate, Small Animal Dosage — Dogs, printed p.669 (corpus p.697) — SOURCE EDITION: Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs — ISBN 9780323244855, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780323244855 — CEILING: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, Prednisolone monograph, printed p.1088, Anti-inflammatory agent — "Dogs: 0.5 - 1 mg/kg PO once daily; not to exceed 40 mg/dog (NOT mg/kg) in large breed dogs. Dose […]" The 40 mg is a DAILY total. |
| PO | 2–4 mg/kg | q12h | Taper over weeks to months | Immunosuppressive | Strong | Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023, held copy; the original seed cited the 9th, which was never consulted) — Plumb's 10th ed p.1061, PrednisoLONE/Prednisone/PrednisoLONE Sodium Succinate monograph, section DOGS/CATS / Immunosuppressive agent, located 2026-08-05 by monograph + species-section + exact figure match. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207 |
Every held source for this drug and species, as printed. Where they differ, both are shown — the choice is yours, not ours.
The sources disagree for this combination. The ranges below do not overlap on a comparable route. This is not an error in one of them — published veterinary references differ, and reconciling them for a particular patient is a clinical judgement.
| Dose (mg/kg) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.2 | IV | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.356 | starting dose 0.2 mg/kg with desoxycortone pivalate (DOCP), 0.1 mg/kg with fludrocortisone. The dose of |
| 0.1 | — | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.356 | ose 0.2 mg/kg with desoxycortone pivalate (DOCP), 0.1 mg/kg with fludrocortisone. The dose of prednisolone may be reduced considerably in most |
| 0.5–1 | PO | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.356 | 0.5-1 mg/kg p.o. q12h initially, tapering to lowest q48h dose. |
Need the exact dose for your patient?
These ranges are per kg. Enter your dog's weight to get the precise dose and draw-up volume — unit and concentration math done for you.
Binds intracellular glucocorticoid receptors, modulating gene transcription. Suppresses inflammatory and immune responses at multiple levels.
PU/PD, polyphagia, weight gain, iatrogenic Cushing's. Immunosuppression risk. GI ulceration (especially with NSAIDs). Do not abruptly discontinue after chronic use. Cats require prednisolone (not prednisone).
Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for dogs may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Prednisolone dose ranges in dogs, with cited source references: PO 0.5–1 mg/kg q12-24h; PO 2–4 mg/kg q12h. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Prednisolone in dogs: PO.
Cited course lengths for Prednisolone in dogs include: Taper after 5-7 days; Taper over weeks to months. Duration depends on the indication — match it to the specific dose rule in the table above.
Prednisolone is indicated in dogs for: Anti-inflammatory, Immunosuppressive.
These are general warnings for Prednisolone across species; consult the dog dosing table above for species-specific guidance. PU/PD, polyphagia, weight gain, iatrogenic Cushing's. Immunosuppression risk. GI ulceration (especially with NSAIDs). Do not abruptly discontinue after chronic use. Cats require prednisolone (not prednisone).
Why a species-specific page? Prednisolone pharmacokinetics differ across species: dose ranges, intervals, and route preferences are not interchangeable. Cross-extrapolation from canine doses is unsafe in dogs — the rules above are the citations specific to this species, not generic recommendations.
Sourced from published veterinary references; awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer. See our editorial process. Reference only — not veterinary advice.
| 0.5 | PO | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.356 | 0.5 mg/kg p.o. q12-24h; taper to 0.25-0.5 mg/kg q48h. |
| 0.25–0.5 | — | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.356 | 0.5 mg/kg p.o. q12-24h; taper to 0.25-0.5 mg/kg q48h. |
| 1–2 | PO | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.356 | 1-2 mg/kg p.o. q24h, tapering slowly to 0.5 mg/kg q48h (for many conditions this will tak |
| 0.5 | — | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.356 | 1-2 mg/kg p.o. q24h, tapering slowly to 0.5 mg/kg q48h (for many conditions this will take 6 months). |
| 15–30 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.695 | • Shock (effectiveness of this use is controversial): 15-30 mg/kg IV (repeat in |
| 1–2 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.695 | • CNS trauma: 15-30 mg/kg IV, taper to 1-2 mg/kg q12h. |
| 1 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.695 | • Anti-inflammatory: 1 mg/kg/day IV. |
| 0.25–0.5 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.695 | • Replacement therapy: 0.25-0.5 mg/kg/day IV. |
| 10 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.695 | • Intermittent treatment (pulse therapy) of pemphigus foliaceus: 10 mg/kg IV. |
| 0.5–1 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.697 | • Anti-inflammatory: 0.5-1 mg/kg q12-24h IV, IM, or PO initially, then taper to |
| 0.3–0.5 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.697 | q48h at a dose of 0.3-0.5 mg/kg. |
| 2.2–6.6 | IV | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.697 | • Immunosuppressive: 2.2-6.6 mg/kg/day IV, IM, or PO initially, then taper to |
| 2–4 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.697 | 2-4 mg/kg q48h. Initial doses rarely need to exceed 4 mg/kg per day. |
| 4 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.697 | 2-4 mg/kg q48h. Initial doses rarely need to exceed 4 mg/kg per day. |
| 2 | PO | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.697 | • Neurologic disease (steroid responsive): Start with 2 mg/kg q12h PO for 2 days, |
| 1 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.697 | followed by gradual tapering to 1 mg/kg, then 0.5 mg/kg, and eventually to |
| 0.5 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.697 | followed by gradual tapering to 1 mg/kg, then 0.5 mg/kg, and eventually to |
| 0.2–0.3 | PO | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.697 | • Replacement therapy: 0.2-0.3 mg/kg/day PO. |
| Dose (mg/m2) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.697 | • Cancer therapy (e.g., COAP protocol): 40 mg/m2 q24h for 7 days, then 20 mg/m2 |
| 20 | — | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.697 | • Cancer therapy (e.g., COAP protocol): 40 mg/m2 q24h for 7 days, then 20 mg/m2 |
Figures are transcribed from the cited page or table of each held edition and are shown for reference only. They are not dose recommendations, they do not feed the calculator, and none has been reviewed by a veterinarian.