Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Changes in blood and liver in cats after 56 days of steroid treatment
By Lowe, A D et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2008·Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Clinical, clinicopathological and histological changes observed in 14 cats treated with glucocorticoids.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Fourteen cats were treated with high doses of glucocorticoids, either prednisolone or dexamethasone, for 56 days to manage their health issues. After treatment, blood tests showed changes in their white blood cell counts and liver function, indicating some stress on their bodies. One cat experienced side effects like loss of appetite, yellowing of the skin and eyes, itching, and ear problems, which were thought to be linked to the medication. Overall, while the treatment was aimed at helping the cats, it also led to some concerning health changes that owners should be aware of.
People also search for: cat glucocorticoid side effects · cat liver disease treatment · why is my cat itching after medication
Abstract
Fourteen cats were given immunosuppressive doses of either prednisolone (4.4 mg/kg/day) or dexamethasone (0.55 mg/kg/day) for 56 days. Complete blood counts, serum biochemistry profiles and urinalyses were performed on days 0 and 56, and liver biopsies were taken laparoscopically on day 56, because of evidence of hepatic disease on the serum biochemistry profiles. There were significant increases in the cats' mean white blood cell counts, neutrophil counts and monocyte counts, and significant decreases in their mean lymphocyte counts and eosinophil counts. There were consistent increases in the serum concentrations of albumin, glucose, triglycerides and cholesterol. Glycogen deposition, consistent with a steroid hepatopathy, was present to varying degrees in all the liver biopsies. One of the cats developed adverse clinical signs including anorexia, icterus, pruritus and medial curling of the pinnae, some of which were suspected to be related to the glucocorticoid therapy.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18552328/