If you visited Ojai Pet Hospital because of allergy symptoms, your pet probably received an injection of a corticosteroid to help alleviate the itch and begin the allergy treatment program. Corticosteroids have been a miracle of medicine for allergy-plagued pets and their owners, but they do have their drawbacks.

Even though corticosteroids can have seemingly miraculous results in treating the intense itching caused by your pet’s allergies, the potential harm they can cause is significant. Although, as with any drug, individuals vary as to how dramatic their side effects will be (if any), those that do develop problems with steroids can have such problems as increased appetite, panting, diarrhea, behavioral changes, weight gain, fat redistribution, a pendulous abdomen, dull dry coat, thin skin, poor hair regrowth after clipping, blackheads, increased skin fragility and bruisability, poor wound healing, muscle weakness and wasting. They can precipitate or worsen infectious diseases, predispose to pancreatitis, colitis and gastritis, cause liver problems, diabetes (by causing insulin resistance), adrenal or pituitary atrophy, infertility, bone and muscle problems, cataracts, growth suppression, and can increase the risk of cancer and hypertension.

Whoa! Before you vow to never allow the use of corticosteroids in your pet again, please realize that with careful use, serious problems are rarely seen. Obviously, if we just used steroids without safeguards the problems would be greater, but responsible medical professionals insist on periodic examinations of animals on corticosteroids and this helps minimize the problems we would see otherwise. Most people don’t realize that ANY medication containing corticosteroids can result in these problems, including ear, eye and skin medications. Also, some patients can be treated by more than one veterinarian so that each veterinarian may be unaware of another’s prescription unless you tell them. So, we will be very strict in our use of corticosteroids to treat your pet’s allergy, and monitor them closely.