Cortisone Shot Side Effects in Pets

Took my Scotty in for routine teeth cleaning (no extractions). She is diabetic and has Cushings but vet assured me she would do fine under anesthesia. Two days later she developed a high temperature and cough, likely an infection contracted from tracheal tube when anesthesia was administered, or kennel cough. Took her back to the vet and he gave her an antibiotic shot and recommended steroid shot to get her over upper respiratory infection. Like an idiot, I trusted his advice not knowing that this would have such an adverse effect on my girl. The first day I thought we would have to put her down. She wouldn't move, she lost her balance, peed on herself because she couldn't get up. Now she has excessive thirst and is peeing constantly. I'm heading to Walmart to see if I can find activated charcoal. I am heartsick that I allowed this treatment.

My 1 year old at was given a cortisone shot for inflammation after suffering a blocked urethra. He started panting and shaking and then stopped. I am now concerned for his health after reading stuff on here.

Yes, it did make the severe rash my 60 pound Pitbull mix got from the grass. She had hundreds of small red 'pimples' on her chest and abdomen. the vet gave her a shot, the rash disappeared, but now she's constantly thirsty and has to go out several times a day to urinate. She also has excessive hunger and started 'counter surfing' to try and get to any food on the counter tops and also has started to raid the small waste paper baskets around the house. She had the injection about 10 days ago and I'm hoping these extremely, uncomfortable for her, side effects will wear off soon. The four stars are for how fast the rash went away, one star for the anoying side effects.

My 14 year old dog has been given a cortisone shot for suspected asthma. 8 hours later he starts to go down hill and after 12 hours he is collapsed on the floor. The vet has given him more drugs to try to help him but he is unable to stand and cant keep any food or water down. He is soiling himself and it is likely I will put him to sleep this weekend. The vet agreed he has had a reaction to the cortisone shot. An injection he didnt need. This was not the way I wanted him to go. He will be 15 in 3 weeks time but now he wont see his birthday in.

My dog had a cortisone shot on 11-17-17 that night she had an episode I was at work. When I got home she could not walk and had threw up and peep on herself. 3 days later she had a bad seizure.9 days later she had another episode which I was there for or she flipped on the sidewalk several times and then couldn't move for an hour then threw up 3 times I had to carry her home she has an appointment in the morning to have something removed from her side of her mouth which was the reason she had the shot. She has been having labored breathing., but has been eating, drinking and going to the bathroom pretty normally and sleeping a lot not sure if I'm going to go ahead with the surgery tomorrow but I'm happy to read about the charcoal and we'll maybe try that for a couple of weeks before I bring her back to the vet for the surgery.

Brought my Chihuahua to the vet for an ear allergy. She was given a shot of cortisone, next day she has blood in her urine.

5 Year Old Lab just had his second Depo-Medrol shot. Looking back, he was a little unhappy after the first one. But we did not make the connection. Now he is very lethargic, very wobbly in his back end. Won't walk and is breathing very hard like he is in pain. Husband stayed up all night with him. He (Jake dog) did eat some this morning and did drink some water, but it's like he is in very slow motion. It's so weird...he lives for food and is a gobbler. I have called the vet and am waiting for a return call.

I have searched for information on side effects (from the company), but cannot find any. I can only find information from other posters who have had similar problems.

In the meantime, what did we do? How long will this last? Should I call a holistic vet (none in my area)? Do activated charcoal? How much, how often and how do I get him to eat it? Please help.

Thank you.

I have a 12 year old male Yorkie. He has always been a strong alpha dog. I've had him on an organic diet of meats and veggies for some years. He's one of those dogs that will eat anything and is always hungry. I had his senior checkup with blood test and X-ray at 11 yrs, all checked out well, though they said his liver was a little large. Recently had his 12 yr check up (new vet) and blood work done to have his teeth cleaned, again all good but he had developed a yeast both internally and externally and in the past 6 months had developed many skin warts. He has yeast breath, ears, skin, paw pads and raspy breathing (congested sounding) I took him to another new vet (local) and started with anti fungal shampoo.

He wanted to administer a cortisone shot but I resisted and wanted to try shampoo, Benadryl, plus Turmeric, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar in his food and go to just meats and green veggies. He got worse and was constantly restless and itchy and neither of us could get sleep. Back to the vet, anal glands flushed and this time a cortisone shot. Still has raspy breathing.

The shot provided some relief, more water drinking and urinating and I continued on the frequent antifungal shampoos. About 4 weeks later, he became very ill, 2 days of vomiting and diarrhea, became so dehydrated, I had to rush him to emergency (weekend of course) where he was given meds to control the vomiting and diarrhea and I've fluids. After getting ahold of his regular vet, he kept him for 5 days. Did X-rays, blood work, ultrasound - all clear with high white blood cell count indicating infection and high amount of new red blood cells. No clear reason as to what happen - no tumors, no cancer, no Cushings, no answers. I asked if it could be related to the cortisone shot with a answer of no. Stayed on fluids and antibiotics, back home with antibiotics for 7 days. A week later, yeast flare up as the shot had worn off and antibiotics didn't help, back to excessive scratching and sleepless nights. Back to the vet for a cortisone shot, it's been about 5 weeks now since the first, he gives a "low dose". Over the next 4 days, I have a zombie dog, lethargic, constant sleeping, excessive water drinking and urination, urine leakage, loss of appetite, refusal to walk outside, weeping eyes, still has raspy respiratory, tonight he vomited his dinner and no evening bowel movement. I added to his diet today - boiled chicken with cooked green beans, a mixture of pumpkin/apple/ginger/vitamins for digestive issues, added immunity blend of midicinal mushroom and a digestive enzyme with probiotics. Collidial silver to his water and a little later, a tiny bit of goat cheese with the charcoal powder in it. Maybe too much at once? I'm lost with what to do. I've read numerous comments here and I feel I have done wrong with the shots but he was in agony with itching. I know the shots are a band aid, was just hoping to calm his skin down enough to address the yeast internally with stronger natural protocol. The vet knew how reluctant I was about the shot but said it was a great drug when well managed.

What can I do now? How do I address the yeast internally that I am not already doing? Help, I can't lose him. Is there a way to test dogs for nutritional deficiencies and food sensitivities through blood work as they do with humans? My Naturopath ordered a nutritional analysis through a blood draw to the lab? Help please.

Wow... my cat just had a depo medrol shot and has been having massive sneezing fits every since. That and he is also lethargic.

Not really sure if there is a connection here but I had two separate dogs of two separate breeds get cortisone shots for the disks in their backs, now the 1st dog (mini schnauzer) was fine for over a year after, until he started having seizures. The vet then gave him another shot for the swelling in the brain and he passed away a little less than 2 wks later. Now about a week ago my 2nd dog (American bulldog/pitbull mix) she is 13 yrs old and I noticed her having difficulty with her back legs. The vet also said it was her disks and gave her a shot and a prescription for methocarbamol. Then a week later she has a stroke. Please tell me if there seems to be a connection here. He also gave her another shot for the swelling in her brain after the stroke. I would really like to know if I am making a mistake going to this guy.

My 5 yr old dog had bad skin itching and redness. Took her to vet who gave her a cortisone shot and cortisone pills 2 x daily for 5 days. Have now noticed that she is urinating at times when in my lap or I am holding her. Can this be from the cortisone?

Hi, I have a boxer 3yrs old, and about 3 weeks ago she got bit on the tail nub and was licking it. It got irritated and sore, so we took her to vet. Vet gave her a cortisone shot and all good, until last week when she started having seizures and foaming a little at the mouth. After a minute or so she seems fine again. This has happened on 3 different occasions. Could this be due to the cortisone and since it's almost out of her system, should we just watch her close or try some charcoal to get the toxins out of her system?

My dog had inflammation around a scar that was hurting her, so the vet injected her with cortisone, (she's a scottie dog - short, black) - walks to the jacked-up pickup truck and jumps in to the cab. I get her home, she can't walk with her right hind leg. By the next morning, her leg was getting cold and she was bleeding from her behind and in her pee. Now she's at the vet for observation; I expect I'll have to be putting her down tomorrow - as I don't expect this to get better when the cortisone wears off. I had no idea it could cause embolisms and kill a dog so quickly... or I wouldn't have casually let her get that injection... I had some myself in my foot tendon and it really helped.

Subcutaneous Emphysema, after cortisone injection.....could it have been the cause?

My 14 y/o chihuahua mix has snored for years and had raspy breathing at times, I wrote it off to asthma. My son and I have it too. Two weeks ago it got much worse, really loud snoring, more raspy breathing at times and sometimes if he ate too fast he would gag and throw up all his food, until I started giving smaller portions more times a day. Anyway last week I took him to the vet. He said it was not asthma, it was a problem with his trachea....my 16 y/o chihuahua coughs and gags ever since surgery a couple years ago, most likely caused by the intubation, vet then put him on Temeral-P 1/4 pill a day and I don't even have to give it every day to control his cough. It sounded logical to me, as they get older the esophagus gets "floppy" is the way I put it. This vet gave my dog an injection of steroids, I heard him say Venalog or Kenalog, in the back of the neck and Temeril-P 1/2 tab twice a day, which is more than I give my other chihuahua and he weighs more. Anyway 2 days later I noticed a puffiness across my dogs chest and the next day his face looks fuller, by the following Thurs, which was 5 days later, when we woke up he had a knot on his head that crackled when I rubbed it. The vet saw him again to explain that the shot did not cause any of this, this was called subcutaneous emphysema, air/gas under the skin, x-ray confirmed it. Had to take to another clinic for a digital x-ray, still don't know what it wrong. They are saying using a puncture wound letting air get trapped, or intubation, or a tear in the windpipe. Both vets seem to think it is a cancer mass causing the air to leak. My dog still eats, drinks and pees alots but that is because of the cortisone shot, no more extra loud snoring, no labored breathing. The most disturbing thing is the bubble on his head, cheeks and neck that crackles. I am not going to let them put him to sleep to do an MRI or endoscopy as long as he is not in distress and possibly kill him. From what I've read this subcutaneuous emphysema can dissipate on it's own, it is not getting any bigger, he is already 14 y/o, he did have a hoarse voice when he barked, but it has gotten better. I can't help but think the shot is what started this, even though the vet says it couldn't, over and over he said it couldn't. I'm out another $130 for additional tests as a result of new symptoms since his initial visit. The vet is very good and I really like him, he didn't charge me for the x-ray he took, but sent me to his other facility to get a digital so he could possibly see more.

No one will admit if something they do causes additional problems, except my vet that retired who told me that my other chihuahua's esophageal problem was most likely caused by the removal of the intubation tube because there was a complication and he almost died on the table. If anyone knows any reason for subcutaneous emphysema, air/gas trapped under the skin that crackles when pressed, please let me know. I sure hope I lost my dog last year to lung cancer and would not have known that if I had not had a necropsy done...three vets in three days told me seizures, congestive heart failure, after $500 of EKG and heart meds (took one dose before passing), x-rays, heart worm tests, CBC. On day 4, he passed away and the necropsy showed lung cancer at 9 y/o.

On Tuesday 5/24/16, My 4 1/2yo bluenose pitbull got his shots after skipping 1y. He got 3yr vaccines for everything including rabies except bordatella bc he HATES the vet visit and is aggressive toward other animals anyway so he was muzzled. He has allergies and had spots of hair loss, some sores and an odor so he got a shot for itching and antibiotic pills to take for 2wks. Needless to say he was extremely stressed by the visit. I gave him his monthly heart worm med, heart guard, the next day. On Thursday night I noticed he was laying on the bathroom floor which he never does. He was acting very odd, almost scared. I took him outside she seemed fine. He had been drinking a lot more water and peeing A LOT more. Back inside he acted strange the rest of the night and intermittently over the next day or so. He continued to drink tons and pee tons while not eating a whole lot. Tuesday night 5/31/16, he even peed in the house. He has also been panting a lot while at rest. At times he seems to be getting better but then I thought that before but he displayed symptoms again. Upon reading a few articles, the closest thing sounds like cortisone reaction. They say charcoal is the remedy. I don't know if he warrants administration of charcoal or not or if he is in any danger warranting intervention or not.