Dehydration after Dexamethasone in cats

The FDA has received 65 reports of dehydration in cats after Dexamethasone. That is 8.5% of all reports for this medicine, compared with 2.0% across reports for all cat medicines, so it is reported unusually often with this medicine.

65Reports

80%Marked serious

17%Recovered

45%Died or euthanised

1 daysTypical onset

How soon it started

Same day

24 41%

1–2 days

12 21%

3–7 days

5 8.6%

1–4 weeks

7 12%

Over a month

10 17%

How the animals did

Recovered

11 17%

Still unwell when reported

19 29%

Died

11 17%

Euthanised

18 28%

Not known

6 9.2%

Problems reported at the same time

49 75%

38 58%

29 45%

26 40%

23 35%

23 35%

23 35%

18 28%

Age of the animals

Under 1 year

1–3 years

4–7 years

8–11 years

12+ years

About this medicine

Dexamethasone reduces inflammation and immune activity.

Steroids commonly cause increased thirst, urination and appetite, especially at higher doses.

Questions owners ask

Can Dexamethasone cause dehydration in cats?: 65 reports link the two, but a report alone does not prove the medicine was the cause: other illnesses, other medicines or coincidence can be involved. Your vet can judge it for your animal.
How soon after a dose was it reported?: In half of the reports with dates, it started within 1 day of the first dose.
What should I do?: Don't give another dose until you've spoken to your vet, and keep the packaging so you can tell them the product and dose. Your vet can also report it to the FDA (or you can, through the manufacturer or FDA form 1932a).

Dehydration with similar medicines

Dehydration after Prednisolone 63 reports · 5.1% of its reports
Dehydration after Prednisone 36 reports · 4.0% of its reports
Dehydration after Dexamethasone + Neomycin + Thiabendazole 25 reports · 3.1% of its reports

All reported side effects of Dexamethasone in cats · Medicines most reported with dehydration