Is Dexamethasone safe to abort a young dog's unwanted pregnancy?

Unfortunately we cannot give prescriptions on this site. It's illegal for us to do it without seeing the dog in person. You will have to see if there is another vet locally where you can get the prescription, but I don't think it's very likely. This isn't something vets recommend doing because of the side effects of that medication.

It’s safe to use the prednisone with the dexamethasone shot, they are in the same class of steroids. I would wait more like 5-7 days between the last prednisone and the Rimadyl. Longer if Toby is prone to stomach upset or diarrhea. When used closely together, these two classes of medications can cause bleeding stomach ulcers.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If Bugsy is the correct age, this is her first time being pregnant. I wouldn't advise progesterone supplementation in a case without a known history of problems with past pregnancies. Also, progesterone levels need to be monitored in those cases before beginning supplementation. Since you didn't state more information in your question, I would advise against giving this supplementation unless there is a good reason for it and progesterone levels have been measured. Good luck

Your dog should be weaned off Prednisone slowly. In many ways, prednisone is similar to the corticosteroid hormones cortisol and aldosterone produced by the adrenal glands located along each kidney. Because of this, when taking prednisone, the adrenal glands start decreasing their production of cortisol. It would be too shocking for the adrenal glands to find themselves out of the blue in need of producing cortisol in large amounts again, so by tapering the prednisone gradually, the glands are given some time to resume their normal function. The main risk is what is called an " addisonian crisis" or "iatrogenic hypoadrenocorticism" which can be life threatening and can cause the dog to go into shock. This can happen when the prednisone is stopped out of the blue and the adrenal glands are dormant because they weren't given a chance to gradually become active again. When this happens, the dog's potassium and sodium levels get unbalanced. The sodium levels start to fall, while the potassium levels start to rise. High potassium levels can have a detrimental effect on the heart and can lead to circulatory collapse. Affected dogs may appear weak, lethargic, they may vomit, have a low, irregular heart rate and may go into shock and even collapse. Affected dogs need to seek immediate emergency treatment to correct the electrolyte imbalances and possible low glucose levels through supportive care consisting of fluid therapy and careful monitoring. Rapidly-acting corticosteroid medications such as prednisolone sodium succinate or dexamethasone sodium phosphate may be needed. This whole ordeal can be easily prevented by gradually tapering the dog off the steroids. Dogs on prednisone for quite some time, need to be tapered even more gradually. The vet will tell owners how.

Panting is a documented side effect of dexamethasone. It should stop after the prescription is finished or discontinued. Other causes of panting include pain, stress, heart disease or respiratory disease.

I don't think I would be overly worried about this. Dexamethasone is a fairly weak steroid. Just go back to giving it to him every other day until you speak to your vet. If he has a scabby wound then he will likely need antibiotics. Steroids (even the weak ones) will decrease the body's immune response so they tend to infections easily.

Hi there. Steroids can sometimes cause increased irritability or aggression, so it's possible that the medication might have contributed to her being more grumpy than usual. Dexamethasone generally wears off within 36 hours or so, so if this is the problem, she should be back to her normal self after that.