How Often Can You Give Dexamethasone To A Horse

General Drug Information and Indications

Dexamethasone is a synthetic corticosteroid hormone used to manage inflammation in diseases or weather condition in which the allowed arrangement has a meaning role. The anti-inflammatory effects of dexamethasone are virtually 20-five times stronger than those of natural cortisol.

Dexamethasone commonly is used in horses to treat allergic reactions such as respiratory allergies, chronic obstructive pulmonary illness (heaves), hives, itching and inflammatory diseases including arthritis. Your veterinary also may utilise dexamethasone in high doses in emergencies for anaphylactic reactions, spinal cord trauma or shock. The doses that are used in emergency medicine and the treatment of autoimmune diseases are considerably college than the doses used nether other circumstances. Dexamethasone is used topically to treat certain conditions of the skin and eyes. Preparations for topical use may include other active ingredients such as antibiotics, antifungals or miticides.

Dexamethasone is FDA-approved for use in animals including horses. When the advisable dosage-form is not bachelor through a veterinary pharmaceutical manufacturer, it may be compounded by a specialty chemist's shop.

How to Requite This Medication

Give this medication to your horse exactly equally your veterinarian prescribes. If you miss giving your horse a dose of dexamethasone, give the next dose as soon as yous remember or, if it is close to the adjacent scheduled dose, return to the regular schedule. Do not double dose to catch up.

Wash your hands afterwards giving your horse this medication.

Side Effects

Be sure to discuss any side effects with your veterinarian immediately.

Corticosteroids such every bit dexamethasone are powerful drugs. While they accept many positive effects, there is a definite potential to crusade negative side effects when overused or used improperly. Systemic side furnishings generally are dependent on dose and length of treatment.

Laminitis is a possible side effect from whatever corticosteroid use in the horse. Exist certain to discuss with your veterinarian the risk factors and how to monitor your horse for laminitis.

Increased urination (polyuria), increased water consumption (polydypsia) and musculus wasting can exist seen with prolonged dexamethasone use.

Precautions

Proceed this and all drugs out of achieve of children. Dexamethasone is a prescription drug and should be used according to your veterinarian's directions, and given merely to the animate being for which it was prescribed. Practise not give this medication to a person.

Dexamethasone should be avoided or used with extreme caution in any horse or pony that may have other risk factors for laminitis. These would include animals with pituitary issues, equine Cushing'southward syndrome or equine metabolic syndrome. Pony breeds in general are thought to be at higher gamble for laminitis.

Corticosteroids such as dexamethasone tin can crusade or worsen gastric ulcers. In some instances your veterinary may chose to prescribe drugs such as omeprazole to protect your horse's digestive tract while information technology is on dexamethasone.

Corticosteroids suppress allowed response. Horses receiving dexamethasone may be more susceptible to bacterial or viral infections. Horses receiving dexamethasone may not respond usually to vaccinations. Your veterinarian may cull not to utilize modified live virus vaccinations in your horse while it is receiving dexamethasone. Systemic corticosteroids can besides mask signs of infection, such as an elevated temperature.

The use of corticosteroids in pregnant animals, especially in late pregnancy, is somewhat controversial. Most veterinarians endeavor to avoid them although at that place are instances in which the benefits outweigh the possible risks.

Administration of dexamethasone can suppress the body'southward normal production of corticosteroid hormones. If an creature has been receiving dexamethasone for a chronic condition, the dose of dexamethasone may demand to be tapered then that the animal'due south body tin return to its normal production of corticosteroid hormone. Be certain to consult your veterinarian earlier discontinuing this drug.

Drug Interactions

Exist sure to review with your veterinary any medications or supplements your equus caballus may be receiving.

The risk of gastric ulcers may be increased if dexamethasone and other drugs prone to causing ulcers such as NSAIDs (phenylbutazone, flunixin and others) are given at the same time.

In that location is an increased run a risk of electrolyte imbalances due to calcium and potassium losses in animals receiving the diuretic furosemide while on dexamethasone.

Dexamethasone should not be given intravenously with fluids containing calcium.

Overdose

If you suspect your horse or another animal was accidentally overdosed or has eaten this medication inadvertently, contact your veterinarian or the A.Due south.P.C.A.'s Beast Poison Control Eye at 888.426.4435. Always bring the prescription container with y'all when y'all take your horse for handling.

If y'all or someone else has accidentally ingested this medication call the National Capital letter Poison Middle at 800.222.1222.

Storage

Different strengths or dosage forms of dexamethasone may have unlike storage requirements. Read the labeling or ask your pharmacist for the storage requirements of the prescription you receive.

More Data Virtually This Medication

Corticosteroids are hormones produced by the adrenal gland. Cortisol is the naturally occurring corticosteroid hormone. Corticosteroids are essential for life and affect the animal's metabolism and the function of all cells and organ systems. Their anti-inflammatory effects are due to multiple actions at the cellular level.

There are two major types of hormones produced by the adrenal gland, the mineralocorticoids and the glucocorticoids. The information here discusses dexamethasone that is a glucocorticoid or corticosteroid. In that location are many different corticosteroid drugs available and different medical conditions are treated with dissimilar corticosteroid drugs based on the individual drug'due south pharmacology (due east.g. potency, speed of onset and elapsing of activity).

The other types of hormones produced past the adrenal gland are chosen mineralocorticoids. They primarily command salt and h2o rest in the body. At that place is some cross over in part betwixt mineralocorticoids and the glucocorticoids. A major goal in developing new corticosteroid drugs is to increase the anti-inflammatory effect and reduce their crossover issue on salt and water balance.

When corticosteroid drugs are used systemically, the basic dominion is to utilise the preparation with the shortest duration of action, at the lowest dose level and for the shortest menstruation of time possible. Chronic or inappropriate use of corticosteroids can cause life-threatening hormonal and metabolic changes.

Source: https://www.wedgewoodpharmacy.com/medications/dexamethasone/

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