Side effects of high steroid use

[Box_Of_Frogs]

On behalf of a livery at the yard where Sunny is, does anyone have any experience of obscure side effects of long term steroid tablet use in a horse? This is Tango that Llwyncwn posted about some weeks ago. He is a veteran grey Arab x and some months ago he went from being a little porker to all skin and bone. Early tests indicated the possibility of lymphoma which is a cancer of the digestive tract. But later blood tests were vague and inconclusive. Since then he has been on 80 prednisolene (sp?) tabs per day, slowly reduce now to 70. His diet has been adjusted to get as much good quality/high calorie feed/forage into him as possible and there was hope that he was starting to rally.

However, when his owner inspected him yesterday, he seems as thin and ribby as ever (and I mean thin) and, strangely he has started to lose hair from a huge patch on his neck, about the size of a big dinner plate. It's not rug rub and he's not itchy from lice. Round the edges, the hair just comes away in tufts, leaving totally bald skin underneath. No scabbing or sores, just the hair coming out in handfuls!

Anyone know if this is an occasional side effect of steroids? The concern is that it could be a further manifestation of the underlying metabolic problem. The bottom line is the poor owner doesn't know whether to continue his treatment or to call it a day. The horse appears chirpy and active in himself and the only sure way to get a definitive diagnosis is through biopsies that the owner simply cannot afford. A very sad story but has anyone ever met this significant hair loss with steroids before???

Many thanks x

 

[the watcher]

Never seen this, would be more concerned about the very real risks of laminitis and bone density

 

[mygeorge]

in humans, hair thinning, bone density loss and weight gain are side effects of steroid treatment.

 

[Fransurrey]

Also light sensitivity is a side effect. Hair thinning definitely one of them, though.

 

[teddyt]

Liver disease is a side effect of long term steroid use. Also, it raises the metabolism so weight loss is another side effect.

ETA - long term use also suppresses the immune system

 

[lizzie87]

my horse has been on them for allergy problems...she has been having prednisolone. had her on 25mg tablets, but got sachets now as easier. what dose is horse on a day? up to 1 mg.kg of bodyweight side effects are less that 1-2mg.kg of bodyweight per day according to my vets.

BTW, for longer term use alternate day therapy is recommended if poss, and works for my horse.

most commonly known, laminitis. And from the medicine box...cushingoid symptoms involving significant alteration of fat, CHO, protien and mineral metabolism (e.g. redistribution of body fat, muscle wastage and osteoporosis). During therapy effective doses supress the hypothalomo-pituitary-adrenal axis.
Polyuria, polydipsia, & polyplagia, particularly duing early stages. May cause sodium and water retention and hypokalaemia in long term use. Can cause deposits of calcium in the skin (calcinosis cutis).
in preg. mares may cause fetal abnomalities, early parturition or abortion.
May delay wound healing, weaken resistance/exacerbate existing infections.
Gastrointestinal ulceration
Liver enlargement with incr. serum hepatic enzymes!

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

A huge help - thankyou everyone x

 

[JLav]

My old dog was on prednisolone tablets and she had exactly the same thing happen ie her hair started to come out in tufts leaving pink skin underneath that looked perfectly healthy.

She became almost completely bald down her sides so with veterinary advice we weaned her off the tablets and her coat grew back. Vet said it was definately the steroids that caused it.

 

[alisonpook]

Our dog was on plt and the same thing happened to her - one day the hair came out in handfuls on her back. Went back to vet and at first he said it would not be the tablets but after other tests proved negative said it could well be. To have a definitive answer we would have needed a biopsy but as she was in her final days we thought it unfair to subject her to this as the vet said it would cause her some discomfort.

 

[karenfordyce57]

My arab is on 180 prednisolene a day since sep08. Over the last month or so I have noticed hair coming out from the bottom part of her pastern - no scabs just hair coming away. She has also got very thin (despite lots of food) and shows a lot of muscle wastage. I am seeing vet tomorrow with a view to weaning her off. Maybe the hair loss is a side effect of the steroids?