When starting an itchy dog on an anti-inflammatory dose of prednisone, do you start on 0.5 mg/kg or 1 mg/kg?

• A. 0.5 mg/kg
• B. 1 mg/kg
• C. 1.5 mg/kg
• D. 2 mg/kg

Answer: (B)

The amount you use for anti-inflammatory relief in a pruritic dog is in the range of about 0.5–1 mg/kg per day. Starting at 1 mg/kg/day gives a reliable anti-inflammatory and antipruritic effect because it delivers enough drug to suppress the inflammatory mediators driving itch. If you start at 0.5 mg/kg, some dogs may not experience full relief and you’d end up treating longer without as much benefit. After you see improvement, you taper to the lowest effective dose to minimize side effects. Remember, higher doses (2–4 mg/kg) are used when true immunosuppression is needed, not for standard anti-inflammatory control. Prednisone is converted to prednisolone in the liver, so in dogs with liver issues you’d consider prednisolone directly.