What Are The Side Effects Of Dexamethasone In Horses?

Side effects of dexamethasone most commonly include increased drinking, urination, and appetite when given at any dose.

What does dexamethasone do for a horse?

General Drug Information and Indications
Dexamethasone commonly is used in horses to treat allergic reactions such as respiratory allergies, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (heaves), hives, itching and inflammatory diseases including arthritis.

How long does dexamethasone stay in a horses system?

x, dexamethasone was detectable in plasma in 3/11 horses at 72 hours and below LOD in all horses by 96 hours following a 30 mg dose IV dose. Dexamethasone was still detectable in plasma in 4/12 horses at 72 hours and 1/12 horses at 96 hours following a 20 mg PO dose.

What are the serious side effects of dexamethasone?

Taking dexamethasone for several months can increase the risk of some other side effects. If you take it long term you can get thinner bones (osteoporosis), eyesight problems and slower growth in children and teenagers. If you have diabetes, dexamethasone can affect blood sugar control.

What are the disadvantages of dexamethasone?

Downsides
Indigestion, facial hair growth (especially in women), high blood pressure, slow skin healing and skin thinning, osteoporosis (brittle bones), low potassium levels, and problems with blood glucose control may also occur. Rarely, severe allergic reactions have been reported.

Does dexamethasone relieve pain for horses?

The use of dexamethasone will relieve pain in your horses and make them calmer to ride but with all of the other potential ill effects, it hardly seems worth the risk.

Does Dex calm a horse?

Some competitors administer “dex” in the belief that it will calm a nervous horse, although the rules expressly forbid that use and there’s not much evidence that it works.

What happens if you give a horse too much dexamethasone?

Doses greater than those recommended in horses may produce a transient drowsiness or lethargy in some horses. The lethargy usually abates in 24 hours. Use of corticosteroids, depending on dose, duration, and specific steroid, may result in inhibition of endogenous steroid production following drug withdrawal.

Do side effects of dexamethasone go away?

How long do dexamethasone side effects last? With a half-life of four hours (the amount of time it takes the body to eliminate half a dose), a 20 mg dose is eliminated from the body in about 24 hours. Many of the temporary side effects of dexamethasone, such as mood changes or anxiety, will wear off by that time.

Can dexamethasone cause permanent damage?

Tell your doctor about any past illnesses or infections. Eye problems: Using dexamethasone for long periods can lead to eye problems such as cataracts or glaucoma. The drug may also cause damage to the optic nerves, or fungal or viral eye infections.

Is dexamethasone a high risk medication?

Using this medicine may increase your risk of cancer, including Kaposi’s sarcoma. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns about this risk.

Is dexamethasone hard on liver?

Concomitant usage of dexamethasone and other medications may alter electrolyte metabolism and increase the formation of potentially hepatotoxic reactive metabolites which can contribute to elevated liver enzymes.

How many hours does dexamethasone last?

Primary Care. The duration of action of dexamethasone is three times as long as that of prednisone and lasts up to 72 hours; 5 mg of prednisone are equal to 0.75 mg of dexamethasone.

Is dexamethasone the strongest steroid?

Is dexamethasone a strong steroid? Yes, dexamethasone is considered a strong corticosteroid. It is a long-acting corticosteroid that is about 25 times more potent (stronger) than hydrocortisone and 6 times more potent than prednisone.

What is dexamethasone used for in animals?

Dogs and Cats
It is used in manage and treat immune-mediated disease such as immune-mediated hemolytic anemia or thrombocytopenia; some cancers; allergic reactions such as asthma, hives, and itching; inflammatory diseases and some neurologic diseases.

Is dexamethasone a long-acting steroid?

Dexamethasone is a long-acting, systemic corticosteroid; its potency is about 25 times greater than the short-acting products.

How much dexamethasone can you give a horse?

Dexamethasone Dosages for Horses
Anti-inflammatory; glucocorticoid agent (Labeled dosage): Dexamethasone 2.5 – 5 mg (total dose) IV or IM; dexamethasone sodium phosphate: 2.5 – 5 mg (total dose) IV.

What symptoms does dexamethasone treat?

Descriptions. Dexamethasone provides relief for inflamed areas of the body. It is used to treat a number of different conditions, such as inflammation (swelling), severe allergies, adrenal problems, arthritis, asthma, blood or bone marrow problems, kidney problems, skin conditions, and flare-ups of multiple sclerosis.

Does dexamethasone cause laminitis?

Laminitis reportedly develops when dexamethasone or triamcinolone is used to treat inflammation in horses. Substantial new data point to a role for inflammation in the development of laminitis, suggesting that glucocorticoids should inhibit its development.

What is a good calming drug for horses?

The most commonly used sedatives and tranquilizers in horses are:

• Xylazine. Xylazine is a common equine sedative.
• Romifidine. Romifidine is an alpha-2 agonist that is similar to xylazine but with longer duration and less associated ataxia.
• Detomidine.
• Acepromazine.
• Diazepam and Midazolam.

What are the side effects of steroids in horses?

There are two main side effects that we worry about when treating with these drugs: infection and laminitis:

• Infection: because of their mechanism of action, steroids can suppress the body’s immune system.
• Laminitis: horses treated with steroids can develop laminitis.