The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Cortisone Shot Side Effects
Posted by James (Mentor, Ohio) on 02/28/2010
My 7 year ols Llasa Poo had a 3rd cortisone shot in over 2 years for itchy skin. She is acting very strange, panting all the time, hiding under our dining room table, looking up in the air as though hallucinating that she sees something and needing to constantly be on my lap (which never happened before). I feel helpless. Her appetite is normal as well as water consumption. I will NEVER get her another cortisone shot. Hopefully she can survive this one. Any remedies would be greatly appreciated. This has never happened before.
Cortisone Shot Side Effects
Posted by Kelly (Peculiar, Missouri, usa) on 12/16/2009
The vet gave our healthy dog 2 cortisone shots within 3 months and now our loving yellow lab is in complete renal failure and after 3 days probably putting her asleep tomorrow. itching dogs need something milder and natural. we've had her for 10 years and a cry fest with me and my husband. she is our kid!!!!!
Cortisone Shot Side Effects
Posted by Jane (Pasadena, Ca, Usa) on 12/16/2009
Oh Kelly, I am so sorry to hear about your beloved canine friend. My thoughts are with you and your husband.
Cortisone Shot Side Effects
Posted by Andy (San Francisco, Ca) on 12/14/2009
I took my cat to the vet last Thursday because he had sores near his ear that he kept scratching - he was given a cortizone injection and now has a plastic collar so that he can't scratch it. I just noticed he has little sores (scabs almost) all over his tummy and below his neck!! :(
I'm taking him back to the vet first thing in the morning - does anyone have a pet who has had the same reaction?
Cortisone Shot Side Effects
Posted by Charles Douglas Wehner (London, England) on 12/12/2009
Cortisone Side-Effects - MASSIVE OVERDOSE.
All the symptoms described by pet-owners are those of a massive overdose of steroids.
Cortisone was made by Ciba-Geigy. They went bankrupt. Novartis took over the medical division, and stopped all production this year (2009). So it is likely that either hydrocortisone, prednisolone or prednisone was used.
The over-activity described is due to a huge excess of blood sugar (energy). The thirst and dizziness are diabetes. The bloated stomach is water-retention due to the mineral action of the drugs.
Small animals need PICOGRAMMES (thousands of millionths of a single gramme). Anything more is a vicious maltreatment of a defenceless animal.
Charles Douglas Wehner
Cortisone Shot Side Effects
Posted by Brandy (Lombard, Il) on 12/12/2009
Our kitten had somehow injured her tail when we were not home. We brought her to the vet, thinking it may be broken. The x-ray showed it was not broken, but a number of days later, she was still not bringing her tail up, so we brought her back to the vet and she received a cortisone shot. After this, she stopped eating and was very lethargic. We brought her back to the vet and she had an x-ray which revealed her abdomen to be filled with fluid. We were told she had FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis), which there is no cure for. Cats can have a virus which causes FIP, and never get the disease. I believe the cortisone shot made her immunocompromised, possibly causing FIP to develop.
Cortisone Shot Side Effects
Posted by Janet (Beverly Hills, Ca) on 11/07/2009
My cat received a cortisone shot because he had licked his tail raw - irritation was so bad he hid under the bed for 2 days. 2 days after the shot he started to have seizures like epileptic fits - jumping energy- dancing and running in the air when I picked him up. It didn't stop til a minute later, when it subsided after pulses. 2 more days later he had another one. Vet then gave him Phenobarbitol to ward off the seizures.
Now what??
Cortisone Shot Side Effects
Posted by Lori (Metairie, La) on 08/07/2009
Results of a cortisone shot on my dog
My dog has skin alllergies and suffers from itching...Well she received a cortisone shot..which by the way is my last result after using benedryl and prescription antihistimens...now she is panting something horrible...its truly scary..I haven't sleep in nites the bed shakes..I am waiting to bring her to vet in AM...Plz pet owners..be very careful when taking this route..Good Luck to all
Cortisone Shot Side Effects
Posted by Sad Mommy (Seattle, WA) on 06/03/2009
I had a dog that was having pain with his hips and my husband took him to the vets where he got a steroid shot. Immediately he couldn't get enough to drink. He couldn't walk either and he just started peeing right there on the floor! His condition worsened and worsened and we had to have him put down. It was a reaction the the steroid shot.
Cortisone Shot Side Effects
Posted by Pat (San Antonio, TX) on 05/29/2009
we took our cat to get the stitches removed for an operation and she had some allergic hair loss so they gave her a cortisone shot 3 days ago. she is all disoriented and wobbly now, falls over, etc... it's very sad to see and she wasn't like this before the shot.
the doctor denies it's related to the shot and said that doesn't happen but obviously it did because she was like a playful kitten before that and now she's ruined! and he asked if she'd fallen off anything... yeah, sure, deny their involvement and try to turn it around on us. we are thinking about suing.
Cortisone Shot Side Effects
Posted by Betty (New Caney, Texas) on 08/25/2009
All of us care deeply for our four pawed children. I take this very seriously. Please let me expand on the entry from San Antonio on 5/29/90 re: cortisone shot reaction(s) in my cat. She had a flea allergy diagnosis when I brought her to a veteranarian. She said it would stop her incessant licking, pulling her hair out, and itching problem. It did not. Her stomach is enormous; she is walking wobbly as described by the reporting person on 05/29 and she has had no noticeable positive results from that shot. A second vet in the same hospital refused to repeat it when my kitty did not improve and did not approve of the first one at all. A diagnosis of alopecia was made; amoxicillin for her sores all over her tummy, legs and derriere did no good, and she did not respond to the second vet's Rx of children's over the counter allergy syrup plus a tri-vitamin product. My kitty is not hiding all day from all this medication and hassle to coax her to take it. She is no better months later. Her alopecia is worse. For now another allergy tablet has been prescribed but no results after ten days have yet emerged. I am just sick over this prolonged problem but the cortisone shot is most certainly the worst outward showing of reaction to the entire program. I am sorry I agreed to it and will never do it again. My kitty is actually embarassed of her appearance. She is not eating well at all and looks like she gained tremendous weight. She was absolutely gorgeous before this shot; I was told the likeliness of these side effects disappearing is not good. I was told it was necessary to treat all areas for fleas in an extremely aggressive manner (yet she did not have fleas on her). I did. Nothing resulted from two days of upheaval, making kitty leave her home for two days while the bug bomb product "took". I now face using allergy-friendly food which may or may not work and may need to see a dermatologist. I don't know if these specialists can do any better. I don't like the description of the meds suggested, especially after this cortisone episode and the lack of luck with all these other suggestions by the vet. At this point my kitty is hiding most of the day. She is so different it is scary. I tried a skin/allergy holistic product on her a few months ago but I saw no improvement. I am still open to holistic approach, however, as I think a lot of money and trauma and time dealing with "maybe's" by specialists is going to be an exercise in frustration where kitty and I will both be pulling our hair out.
Cortisone Shot Side Effects
Posted by Tech (O'fallon, Mo) on 03/01/2011
The biggest mistake that majority of doctors make is that their first instinct is to reach for the steroids. They need to first figure out what is causing the issue, or the problem will most likely come back after said drug wears off. Most commonly itching and scratching is allergy related, that can usually be controlled with a diet change. When I say diet change I am not talking about prescription diets either; these diets are garbage and a waste of money. You need to get away from the junk all together; corn, wheat and soy especially. Best option is raw or at least a grain free diet. But please make sure to do your research on brands as your major pet stores do not tend to carry brands worth while. And these stores rarely have a knowledgable staff. And if you choose to go dry rotate between protein sources (buy a different variety each time) Once on a good diet you do not need to be concerened with mixing them over anymore, the stomach upset doesn't tend to occur once you eliminate the garbage.
Regardless, require that your vet find what is actually causing the presenting problem. DO NOT let them just reach for the quik fix. Also bare in mind most vets ARE NOT well versed on animal diet and nutrition.
If you would like an excellent site that goes into the holistic approach Dr. Becker is amazing.
http://healthypets.mercola.com/
Good Luck.
Cortisone Shot Side Effects
Posted by Carole (Gauteng, South Africa) on 04/09/2008
My 14 year old bull terrier died last night. The day before she had received an injection for a very bad flea allergy. Our vet said that she needed to have drastic treatment for a drastic problem. Yesterday she was panting and having what sounded like a very bad kennel cough. I telephoned the vet twice and was told this was a side effect which should last 24 hours. Her tummy was also swollen which, I was told, was a side effect of the cortisone. It was awful to watch our poor dog suffer, and we can only think that she had a heart attack or stroke as a result of this constant panting and 'coughing'. We feel devastated. I now see that there is alot of controvasy around the use of cortisone. Had I known this I would have opted for a natural product. In all other ways, she was fit and healthy, even though she was getting on in age. Had I not been told by the two vets that this was a 'natural' side effect, I would have taken her back to my vet for treatment. I have no idea whether anything would have worked at this late stage though.
Cortisone Shot Side Effects
Posted by Chris (Clarence, NY) on 05/16/2009
Our lab had a cortisone injection and then died within a week. she was fine before that
Cortisone Shot Side Effects
Posted by Rosey (Elmont, New York, USA) on 05/21/2009
Use benadryl, it seems to work for my dog and thank you for publishing the side effects of cortisone, my dog just got a shot on monday now im seriously worried.
Cortisone Shot Side Effects
Posted by Sunday (Los Angeles, Ca) on 11/12/2009
My puppy just received a cortisone shot for what appeared to be allergies. After reading these entries, I feel upset that the vet did not tell me the possible side effects. She pants a lot, and seems depressed. She didnt even feel like going out to play and sleeps a lot. Now I'm worried!!
Cortisone Shot Side Effects
Posted by Valerie (Ottawa, Illinois) on 04/02/2011
our cat panted four days. took him to the vet, he gave him steroid and antibiotic shot. cheddar the cat was only 2 years old. my husband arrived home 30 minutes after the vet, checked, my little girl looks in the truck and said that's not right, her mouth is open. I looked he's dead blood coming from the mouth. 5 stunned kids and 2 adults in utter despair. sounds like the vets are drummin up biz with this shot. Disgusting and shameful grrrrr
Cortisone Shot Side Effects
Posted by Diamond (Salisbury, MA) on 04/03/2011
I hope you plan on looking into it? Almost the same thing happened to my cat; she was very sick and the vet. Took her out in the back room then he said he gave her a pill to help her eat and drink, I took her home with the remainder of the pills but I first looked up the script on the computer only to find the pills(antihistamine) did the total opposite plus her heart rate went sky high, she was panting severely and could no longer get into the cats box or even walk, with in a few minutes she was dead. I was deathly sick and enraged. The vets. Are made to experiment peoples medications on our animals. Ask a lawyer what you can do, the questions are free. Write letters to your senator Dan Rutherford; 320 North Plumb Street, Pontiac Ottawa(815-842-3632)..... Linda Holms;bld. 2B1 - 13300 S Route 59 Plainfield, (815-609-3711)Even if you don't get any results, at least you have put a bug in their ears, Next start a petition make it public where people can sign this petition send it off one by one, keep a copy for you send to senators and the white house I did. It makes them look very bad in the public's eye. Good Luck and god bless
Cortisone Shot Side Effects
Posted by Fogetabotit (Phoenix, Az) on 08/05/2012
OMG I am so freaked out after reading on & on... my cat has had 5 cortozone shots total w/in last 2 mo & he is dying i know this! didn't know it was the cortozone!!!!! they want to euthanize him tue but we aren't giving up!! is there any counter-active remedy for this that i can administer? i will die w/out my best friend in the whole world! please help!!!
