Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Common side effects of steroid treatment in dogs in the UK
By Elkholly, Doaa A et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2020·Royal Veterinary College, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Side Effects to Systemic Glucocorticoid Therapy in Dogs Under Primary Veterinary Care in the UK.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that about 5% of dogs receiving glucocorticoids (a type of steroid medication) experienced side effects within a month. Common symptoms included increased thirst and urination, vomiting, and diarrhea. Dogs taking oral glucocorticoids, especially prednisolone, were more likely to show these side effects compared to those receiving only injectable forms. Understanding these risks can help pet owners and veterinarians make better treatment choices and manage any potential issues. Most dogs can still benefit from glucocorticoids, but it's important to monitor for these side effects.
People also search for: dog glucocorticoid side effects · why is my dog drinking so much water · dog vomiting after medication
Abstract
Systemic glucocorticoids are widely used in companion animals. This study aimed to estimate the frequency, describe the characteristics and to evaluate risk factors for common side effects to systemic glucocorticoid therapy in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK.A cohort study using VetCompass™ data from 455,557 dogs under primary veterinary care during 2013 estimated the frequency of side effects to systemic glucocorticoid therapy occurring within 31 days of therapy. Risk factors for the most common side effects, polyuria and polydipsia (PUPD), were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression modeling (< 0.05).During 2013, 28,472 study dogs received systemic glucocorticoids (6.2%, 95% CI 6.2-6.3). Review of the records of 3,000 randomly selected treated dogs identified 148 (4.9%, 95% CI 4.2-5.7%) dogs with at least one side effect recorded within 31 days of therapy. The most frequent side effects were polydipsia (39.2% of total presenting signs), polyuria (28.4%), vomiting (16.2%) and diarrhea (14.9%), dogs receiving only oral systemic glucocorticoids (odds ratio, OR: 3.72) and dogs receiving both oral and injectable systemic glucocorticoid (OR: 10.71) had increased odds of PUPD compared with dogs receiving only injectable systemic glucocorticoid. Focusing on the active substance used, treatment with prednisolone tablets only (OR: 3.53) and treatment with both prednisolone tablets and injectable dexamethasone sodium phosphate (OR: 7.62) showed increased odds of PUPD compared to treatment with injectable dexamethasone sodium phosphate only.These results can assist veterinarians to optimize therapeutic selection for reduced side effect, to inform owners on common side effects, and help protect the welfare of pets and their owners.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32923470/