My dog got a cortisone shot for itching. Why is he lethargic?

I'm sorry to hear about Popcorn! It would be helpful to know when he went to the vet and what injections were given. His original symptoms could indicate an allergy, and if you were at the vet recently it's possible that one of the injections could cause drowsiness as a normal side effect, if an antihistamine such as diphenhydramine was given in addition to the Cetirizine (which is an antihistamine). In that case I wouldn't be as worried. If you're still giving Cetirizine, I would recommend discontinuing and seeing if he perks up in the next 24 hours - if so, the drowsiness may have been a side effect of the medication. However, if the lethargy continues even off meds (or if he is not currently on any meds and the vet visit was more than 24 hours ago) and he's still acting lethargic, I would encourage you to take him back to the vet, as lethargy could indicate that his original rash is getting worse and he needs a change in his treatment. Hope this helps.

It is impossible for us to predict if this is a normal response to a sedative / pain medication, progression of the condition or a different issue entirely without knowing exactly how much and what type of injectable pain relief he was given. I recommend you contact with the vets office and inform them of the change in his status and they can confirm id this is a temporary and expected response to a strong opioid pain killer or if he needs to be reassessed

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.

This is a common reaction to steroids. If the steroids were only for his itching you may try to decrease his dose in half to see if you see improvement in the side effects but still see relief in his allergies. But I would still call your vet to let them know he is having this type of reaction. If he was prescribed steroids for an auto immune disorder I would contact your vet before adjusting the dose. I hope this helps.

The answer to your question really depends on when the injection was given, what type of steroid it was, what dose of steroid was given and what his Prednisone regimen has been, so your vet will need to answer that question. If your vet is already closed for the day, it will likely be safer to skip his Prednisone dose tonight and call them first thing in the morning to discuss when to resume his Prednisone. Some steroid injections only last for 12 hours, but some last for much longer, so you do not want Chester to have too high of a steroid dose tonight. Hopefully you can talk to them tonight to figure out the best thing to do. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

The injection is called Cerenia, if this didn't help then you must take him back to the vet for a blood test and xray/ulrasound, he might be suffering from either a foreign body in the GI tract or severe gastrointestinal infection.

Poor Lea! She could allergies and a secondary bacterial infection. Since she is so itchy, lethargic, and not wanting to eat or drink, she really should be examined by a vet to determine the cause and treat. I think she is going to need some prescription medications to treat. She might need an anti-histamine, corticosteroid, and/or an antibiotic to help. I hope she feels better soon!