My dog took too much dexamethasone. What symptoms should I watch for?

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.

If that is a allergic reaction as it seems, the dose you gave should be enough to stop it. If the signs persist I would recommend to have him checked as soon as possible as more powerful (ideally injectable) treatment with steroids should be given. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! So an anti-inflammatory dose of steroid would be about 8.5 mg and an immune modulating dose would be about 17mg. So you have given a very high dose of steroid and not sure why you gave this to Dixie. You should always consult a veterinarian before treating your own pet for this reason. Probably one dose this high won't hurt but steroids have some very potent effects and side effects on the body. I would monitor her for any signs of illness like vomiting, diarrhea (both with or without blood), lethargy, decreased appetite, etc. If these develop I would call your veterinarian and discuss what is going on. You will see an increased thirst, increased urination, increased appetite, increased panting, and possibly some behavioral changes. Watch her closely and always consult with your vet before medicating your own pet.

If he is having side effects then you could skip today. Since it is just a short course of steroids, it shouldn’t be a problem to miss a day. You could also give him 1/2 the dose and see if he has less side effects with a lower dose. Hopefully, the itching has improved. If he needs long term allergy medications then you could talk to your vet about Cytopoint or Apoquel.

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.

Steroids can cause GI ulceration and this is a potential concern for dogs on steroids like dexamethasone. The bloody stool could also be due to some other cause. I would recommend a recheck with your veterinarian to determine the cause and consider whether or not an allergy drug like Apoquel might be more appropriate to treat GG's allergies.

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.