Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Higher weight dogs have more side effects from glucocorticoids
By Sri-Jayantha, Loren S et al.·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2022·Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center (PVSEC), United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Increased risk of select glucocorticoid adverse events in dogs of higher body weight.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that heavier dogs receiving glucocorticoids (a type of steroid medication) for conditions like immune-mediated thrombocytopenia or hemolytic anemia were more likely to experience side effects. For every 11 pounds (5 kg) of extra weight, the chances of developing muscle loss and increased appetite rose by 30%. Additionally, nearly half of the dogs gained or lost more than 15% of their body weight during treatment, and overweight dogs were more likely to get urinary tract infections. The researchers suggest that adjusting the dosage or tapering off the medication more quickly could help reduce these risks for larger dogs.
People also search for: glucocorticoids side effects in dogs · dog weight gain from steroids · urinary tract infection in overweight dogs
Abstract
There are limited data on glucocorticoid treatment in dogs. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether dogs of higher body weight experienced more adverse events when receiving glucocorticoid therapy. Data pertaining to glucocorticoid therapy was abstracted from the records of 61 dogs that were prescribed glucocorticoids for treatment of immune-mediated thrombocytopenia or hemolytic anemia from 2014 to 2019. The odds of developing muscle atrophy and polyphagia during therapy were increased by 30% for each 5 kg of additional body weight. Almost half of the dogs (44.3%) fluctuated > 15% from baseline weight during therapy. Dogs whose body condition scored as above ideal were at increased risk (odds ratio = 4.2) for being diagnosed with urinary tract infection. Our findings suggest that standard linear glucocorticoid dosing may place higher body weight dogs at increased risk of developing adverse events. Accelerated glucocorticoid tapering and/or alternative dosing schemes in dogs with higher body weights may be prudent in efforts to improve tolerance and client compliance.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34975165/