Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Prednisone treatment causes lumbar spine bone loss in dogs
By Costa, L A V S et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary pharmacology and therapeutics·2010·Departamento de Medicina Veteriná, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Bone demineralization in the lumbar spine of dogs submitted to prednisone therapy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of eight healthy dogs was given prednisone, a common medication, for 30 days to see how it affected their bone health. After the treatment, tests showed a significant decrease in bone density in the lumbar spine, with about a 14% loss of bone mass. Fortunately, none of the dogs suffered any fractures during the study. This suggests that while prednisone can be effective, it can also weaken bones quickly, so it's important for pet owners to monitor their dogs for any signs of bone issues while on this medication.
People also search for: dog prednisone side effects · dog bone health after prednisone · how does prednisone affect dogs' bones
Abstract
Glucocorticoids are drugs widely used in veterinary medicine; however, besides their clinical benefits, their use can trigger undesirable effects. A clinical trial was performed on eight healthy dogs with the intent of evaluating possible alterations in the bone mineral density after therapy with prednisone using a helical computed tomography. All animals received prednisone orally at a dose of 2 mg/kg of weight for 30 days. The bone mineral density was determined by obtaining the vertebral body radiodensity of the second lumbar vertebra values immediately before and after the administration of the medication. The experimental protocol allowed for the characterization of a significant (P < 0.01) reduction of the vertebral body radiodensity of the second lumbar vertebra. At the end of the experiment, it was characterized by a loss of bone mass of approximately 14%. None of the animals presented pathologic fracture at the end of the administration of the medication. This study verified that the alterations in the bone metabolism of the dogs submitted to the therapy with prednisone in a dosage of 2 mg/kg occur rapidly, which recommends a monitoring of the patients for the prevention of pathologic fractures.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21062311/