Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Prednisolone treatment has little effect on calcium in dogs
By Kovalik, M et al.·Published in Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)·2012·The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Short-term prednisolone therapy has minimal impact on calcium metabolism in dogs with atopic dermatitis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 16 dogs with atopic dermatitis (a skin condition causing itching and inflammation) were treated with prednisolone, a common steroid medication, to see how it affected their calcium levels and overall health. After six weeks of treatment, the dogs showed improvement in their skin symptoms, with less itching and inflammation. Importantly, the treatment did not significantly change their calcium metabolism, meaning it was safe in that regard. Overall, the dogs felt better without any concerning side effects related to calcium levels.
People also search for: dog atopic dermatitis treatment · prednisolone side effects in dogs · why is my dog itching so much
Abstract
Glucocorticoids (GCs) are a large group of drugs used to treat a range of inflammatory, autoimmune and neoplastic diseases in dogs. Glucocorticoids have been linked to disturbances in calcium metabolism and skeletal disorders in humans, yet their effects at therapeutically effective dosages in dogs with spontaneous diseases are poorly understood. Serum concentrations of calcium, phosphate, vitamin D metabolites and plasma concentrations of parathyroid hormone and ionised calcium together with urinary fractional excretion of calcium and phosphate, were measured in 16 dogs with atopic dermatitis before and 6 weeks after standard dosage prednisolone treatment (0.93-1.06 mg/kg) every other day after 7 days of treatment with the same dosage once daily. The severity of their physical signs, as assessed by the canine atopic dermatitis extent and severity index version 3 (CADESI-03) and the Edinburgh Pruritus Scale (EPS), decreased in all dogs following prednisolone treatment. There was no significant difference in any of the biochemical parameters measured following prednisolone treatment. This study indicates that prednisolone, used at a therapeutically effective dose, has minimal impact on calcium metabolism in dogs with atopic dermatitis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22277720/