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.
Mike Lake (Tucson, Az) on 06/30/2011:
I just lost my one year old cat to a Cortisone shot today. Took him to the vet yesterday for a follow up on his allergy condition. He had made great strides in the last three weeks on just an anti-biotic. Vet thought it would be a good idea to give him this shot. When he brought him back to us he was panting like crazy. Took him home thinking that perhaps he was just stressed from the visit. This morning he was barely breathing, so we rushed him back to the Vet. They put him in the emergency room and put him on pure oxygen. His lungs were filling with fluid at this time. They could not save him, so we had to put him down. How can he go from a healthy, active cat to this bitter end in less than 24 hours? Why is this drug still legal to use in our beloved animals? Don't ever let them inject your animal with this poison!! I lost my best friend today.
While I was gone for a week, my toy poodle came in heat and one of my schnauzers mated with her and wrenched her back. When I got home I took her to the vet he took xrays, said she had 3 herniated disks. He gave her a cortisone shot, and she was dead the next day. She was the love of my life. I have been reading your posts on her, I will never let my vet give another cortisone shot to any of my dogs. Jasmine my poodle would probably be alive today if I hadn't let the vet give her that shot.
RIP my little girl.. You are very missed. I love you.
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
I too took my dog in for a urinary tract infection and she was given a short acting cortisone shot for her hair loss. I was told there was protein in her urine. That should have been a red flag and bloodwork should have been done asap. I was sent home with baitryl for the infection. 3 days later she started getting the shakes and then diahrea so I took her back and they said she developed colitis and sent me home with flagl. After a few days of constant shaking and then diahrea again I took her to the emergency hospital and was told she was in acute kidney failure. After 5 nights and 3300.00. they sent her home. Telling me she had chronic kidney failure. She was on her death bed.
They gave me false hope. They werent even honest with me about how bad she was. After 1 night home she deteriorated to the point that she was gasping for breath and hadnt eaten for days. The last straw was when she hadnt urinated for 24 hrs. I knew her kidneys failed. I had the horrible decision of putting down the love of my life, a little blind from birth black pug who never grew past puppy size and weighed 11 lbs. whom I worshipped. I am so angry at these vets who misdiagnose and give the wrong meds and in my opinion killed my dog sooner than need be. I cannot function at this point from grief and I will never get over losing this dog. After 4300.00 all together I dont have my beloved baby anymore. I wish I knew how I could make the vet accountable. The most horrible weeks of my life. I feel like I want to just never wake up. I have other pugs but this was the love of my life. Please make sure you don't let the vet give your dog anything without tests first.
sincerely,
Donna
EC: So sorry to hear of your loss. Our thoughts are with you.
We lost our beloved Sebastian four days ago. In November I took him to the vet because I noticed a small stream of blood in his urine and became concerned. The vet said he had a urinary tract infection and gave him a shot of cortisone and an antibiotic. My dog within a few days was panting and breathing heavily. I dismissed it because I thought it was from him gaining weight. He began drinking lots of water which I thought he was just thirsty. Eventually the panting and heavy breathing stopped. I took him to the vet last week because he was itching and scratching a lot. He also had hair loss that I noticed on the rug and on him. He also had some open sores from the digging in his skin with his nails. I noticed bald spots on his belly, rear end, and ears. He was also drinking lots of water. I would fill the bowl up and he would drink it all and Would look for more. He also went outside a lot to pee and also peed in the floor lots of times.
When I got to the vet, he said he probably had chronic nephritis and would need special food for renal failure, because he said the excessive thirst was a symptom of chronic nephritis. He then proceeded to give him a cortisone shot and an antibiotic. I asked him to check his glucose level because I knew excessive thirst is one of the signs of diabetes. He said he likes to do fasting blood tests. They made an appointment for me to bring him back on today for the blood work but he is not alive.
When I got him home after the visit, he was so sick the next day. My husband and I noticed he had thrown up during the night the next morning. He then was vomiting all day Friday. I called the vet and they told me to give him some Pepto Bismol, 2 tablespoons. This helped for a few hours but he began vomiting again so many times.
The next morning my daughter and I took him to another vet and they ran blood work and a thryoid panel. They said his glucose level was 684 and his liver enzymes were abnormal, along with abnormal BUN, phosphate levels and he was in renal failure. We left there and got another opinion from a vet at the Emergency Animal clinic. They said they could not understand why the vet gave our dog a cortisone shot in November for a urinary tract infection and that it was probably still in his system when that vet gave him another one this past Thursday. They said our dog was in bad shape and we had to make the devastating decision to have him put down with an injection in the vet's Office. I have done extensive research on the internet since that happened and I Know That the cortisone shots caused the health problems that led to My dog's death.
My husband, me, my daughters and my granddaughters are heartbroken over our dog's loss. He was our beloved pet for 7 years. He loved us unconditionally and we loved him unconditionally. He was a friendly, smart, happy dog all his life until he got those 2 cortisone shots. My heart is aching all the time and I cry constantly. Our house seems so empty without him here. I miss him greeting me at the door when I come in the house. I just don't know how I am going to get over this terrible grief. Readers don't ever, ever let your vet give your dog or cat cortisone shots. Try something natural or homepathic instead. RIP Sebastian. We will miss you terribly. I know you are in a better place. Love Grandma
My 3 year old male cat developed a rash on his belly and ears that he itched to the point where he was developing bald patches. I took him to the vet in August in which he received a cortisone shot and amoxicillin, took him home and he seemed fine. The symptoms subsided, only to come back a month or so later. Fast forward to January, took him back into the vet in which he received a 2nd shot of cortisone and upon taking him home he immediately became lethargic and lost interest in any activities whatsoever. About 5 days after the shot, he began refusing to eat so I took him in for a followup. Vet explained that it was a rare reaction to cortisone and gave me some precsription food to mix with water and force feed my cat via syringe. 24 hours later, no improvement and in fact his condition seemed to have worsened. I noticed he was breathing short, heavy breaths so I called our local emergency vet in which they had him come in right away. At the vet, they immediately put him into ICU and ran some tests in which they discovered he had a heart murmur and fluid in his lungs. 1 week ago, before the shot, he was a happy healthy extremely active 3 year old cat, now he is at death's door and I truly believe it is because of this damn shot. I wouldn't recommend anyone treat their pets with cortisone after this experience.
I am absolutely terrified now that I have read all the reactions to cortisone. My chocolate lab had a cortisone shot four days ago. His appetite seems insatiable as well as his thirst. He has urinated uncontrollably. As of this evening, he is whining because of an upset stomach and threw up a little earlier. I will be contacting my vet tomorrow.
I was never told of these reactions and what to look for. I made the most stupid assumption that the vet was doing what was best for my dog. He only went to the vet because he seemed irritated around his anus (it was because he needed his anal glands drained). The vet insisted he had fleas, but after checking him from head to toe and not finding one single flea or evidence that they had been there, he gave him the cortisone shot "just in case". Whatever that meant. I will re-post with an update when I find out more tomorrow. Thanks to all those who have posted and my heartfelt sympathies and prayers go out to those who have lost their loved ones.
Unfortunately, I can verify the dangers of cortisone shots. The symptoms described here by many of heavy breathing and lethargic behavior match an experience we just had with our beautiful long haired male cat. The first time he had a bad reaction to a cortisone shot, we chalked it up to the fact that he had just had surgery to remove an abscess on his paw and he was recovering from anesthesia. However, the sluggishness and disorientation lasted several days instead of a few hours and the vet mentioned that some cats have this reaction to cortisone. He recovered from that episode but, a few days ago the same cat was taken to the same vet because he was favoring his right paw. They were unable to find a cause for the problem so x-rays and blood work were ordered. A small growth was found on his right lung but, the blood work was inconclusive so the cat was given a cortisone shot and sent home. Once again he became lethargic and began panting with heavy mouth breathing. We called the vet and were told that an MRI would be required to determine if the growth was cancerous. Their explanation was that he probably wasn't getting sufficient air in one lung and that unless we wanted to put him through surgery and chemo there may not be much they could do.
That was 5 days ago. He died this afternoon. While I realize that the shot may have exasperated an existing problem and that vets don't have options for expensive testing unless the owners are willing pay, I feel bad that after 2 similar episodes, neither we nor the vet recognized that cortisone was deadly to this kitty. We took in our beloved pet who was behaving normally except for an occasional limp and brought home an animal with labored breathing who died after 5 days of being unable to stand for more than a few seconds. I know the drug has its benefits but please be aware of the potential dangers and don't assume that a bad reaction has other causes. We have 2 cats that have received these injections without issue but, lack of awareness by both us and our vet proved deadly for one member of our household.
We took our lab to the vet on 86th & Michigan Road in Indianapolis, for a condition known as Cherry Eyes. The vet did not even mention that our lab should have surgery to remove the eyeglands, but rather a shot would clear it right up. Our dog died two days later.
My 14 year old cat was taken in for a bad tooth. Vet said she seems to have deveoped and allergic reaction to the enamel on her back teeth. She was given a cortisone shot and we were told to bring her back in 2 weeks for recheck. After 2 weeks, the rash was still there and we were told the back teeth needed to come out. We were scheduled to come back in 2 more weeks and given another cortisone shot. Within 3 days of shot, my cat began vomitting. She has a sensitive stomach so I didn't get too concerned. By day 5 very lethargic and dehydrated. I took her to the vet and they put her on IV fluids for 3 days where she did eat. Her liver enzymes were high, her white cells were elevated, and her blood sugar was high. We were told it was probably a reaction to the cortisone shot. She has been home for 24 hours now and is a completely different cat than before the shot. She is also obviously anemic which I have an antibiotic for. Is it possible that she may become more herself after Cortisone shot wears off or am I probably seeing permanent liver damage from the shot that she will not recover from?
A week after my dog Maggie received cortisone, I took her back to the vet, and had a blood profile done on her, to make sure her kidney's, and liver were functioniong good, and the levels were normal. Thank God they were, so far the injection of cortisone hasn't damaged them, but I don't like the shot anyway! Like I said in another e-mail, she is lying under the dining room table, and urinating a lot, and wants to eat, but I can control that, but I let her drink the water, because she can become dehydrated, from the cortisone, if I take up her water! I know the feeling of being thirsty! It will be 3 weeks Sunday, that she had the shot, hopefully it will soon be gone out of her system. Good luck to everyone, and their 4-legged family member!
My baby Luna (a six year old cat) recently had bald patches and scabs on her face and ears. I brought her to the vet two weeks ago to find out what the problem was and the vet suggested a steroid shot and amoxicillin. My cat was sick a few times that week but I thought the antibiotic was making her stomach sour. Then after that was gone, I was back at the vet on Friday attempting to get a culture done to see if we could find any fungus on her. She was extremely nervous and panting, what with having to be at the vet again in less than two weeks. When we got home, she didn't stop panting and she took the liberty of hiding under my bed. I figured she was just upset with me for taking her in and that she would get over it. She didn't come out from under the bed to eat, drink, or even use the toilet for over 24 hours. When she did come out, she laid down by her water dish like she wanted to drink but couldn't. I brought her upstairs so my parents could see the panting and strange behaviour, and my cat went into either a major stroke or siezure right there in front of me. Her eyes couldn't focus and she couldn't breathe. When I brought her to the hospital they said she had fluid in her lungs and a possible heart murmur. I couldn't believe his prognosis: a few weeks or maybe months. I decided to euthanize and it was the hardest decision I've had to make in my life. I strongly urge any other pet lovers to think twice before a steroid injection. Get blood work done first to make sure your cat's liver and kidneys are functioning properly. I think that the shot, in combination with the stress, brought an ailment out of my kitty that could have remained dormant for years. I'm sorry for anyone who has to or has had to go through what I just went through. And I'm sorry to my kitty that in her last moments, she didn't have a hearty meal and couldn't properly breathe. My only consolation here is that she at least had me.
My beautiful 5 year old cat was scratching under her chin and had some scabs. B___d Vet said it was fleas. Told him couldn't be as I had him on Advantage. He suggested a cortisone shot and said this could cause his immune system to shut down which meant to me that he may catch a cold. No kids in house so I considered this unlikely. 5 days later he started to breathe heavily, rushed him to the Vets and had him euthanized as he had pneumonia.
DON'T USE CORTISONE ON YOUR PETS and DON'T USE this Pet Hospital. It's been one month and I cry every single day.
EC: Marilyn, we are so sorry to hear about your cat.
For legal reasons we had to remove the name of the vet mentioned in your post. However, you can file a complaint about your vet here: http://www.aavsb.org/Complaint/
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.EC: Hi James, perhaps you can find something helpful in one of the posts in ADVICE section here: https://www.earthclinic.com/pets/vaccination_side_effects.html
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!!!!!
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?
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.
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!!
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
(53) 
(31) 
