Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with lupus developed slow heart rate after steroid treatment
By Fang-Chi Tsou et al.·Published in Animals·2025·Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 402, Taiwan, CH·View original on DOAJ →
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Original publication title: Corticosteroid-Induced Sinus Bradycardia in a Dog with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Case Report
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old mixed-breed dog with systemic lupus erythematosus (an autoimmune disease) developed a slow heart rate (sinus bradycardia) after receiving a corticosteroid treatment called methylprednisolone. Over 24 hours, her heart rate dropped to between 42 and 48 beats per minute, but her other vital signs stayed normal. After the veterinarian reduced the corticosteroid dosage, her heart rate returned to normal, and she didn't have any more episodes of bradycardia. This case highlights the importance of monitoring heart rates in dogs receiving corticosteroids.
People also search for: dog slow heart rate treatment · systemic lupus erythematosus in dogs · corticosteroid side effects in dogs
Abstract
A 3-year-old, 10.2 kg, spayed, female mixed-breed dog was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus. The patient was administered intravenous methylprednisolone at a dose of 2 mg/kg twice daily. Over the next 24 h, the dog’s heart rate dropped to 42–48 bpm, while other vital signs remained stable. A 12-lead electrocardiogram revealed sinus bradycardia without any other arrhythmia. Notably, the dog was not receiving any beta-blockers or undergoing other therapies commonly associated with sinus bradycardia. After tapering the corticosteroid dose, no further episodes of bradycardia were observed. Herein, we report the first case of sinus bradycardia in a dog following intravenous methylprednisolone therapy to improve veterinarians’ understanding of corticosteroid-induced cardiac arrhythmias.
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Search related cases →Original publication on DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15030375