Adverse effects and outcome associated with dexamethasone administration in dogs with acute thoracolumbar intervertebral disk herniation: 161 cases (2000-2006).
OBJECTIVE
To determine complications and neurologic outcomes associated with dexamethasone administration to dogs with surgically treated thoracolumbar intervertebral disk herniation, compared with dogs not receiving dexamethasone.


METHODS
Retrospective case series.


METHODS
161 dogs with surgically confirmed thoracolumbar disk herniation.


METHODS
Medical records from 2 hospitals were used to identify dogs that had received dexamethasone < 48 hours prior to admission (dexamethasone group dogs), dogs that received glucocorticoids other than dexamethasone < 48 hours prior to admission (other-glucocorticoid group dogs), and dogs that received no glucocorticoids (nontreatment group dogs). Signalment, neurologic injury grade, laboratory data, and complications were extracted from medical records.


RESULTS
Dexamethasone group dogs were 3.4 times as likely to have a complication, compared with other-glucocorticoid or nontreatment group dogs. Dexamethasone group dogs were 11.4 times as likely to have a urinary tract infection and 3.5 times as likely to have diarrhea, compared with other-glucocorticoid or nontreatment group dogs. No differences in neurologic function at discharge or recheck evaluation were detected among groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Results indicated that treatment with dexamethasone before surgery is associated with more adverse effects, compared with treatment with glucocorticoids other than dexamethasone or no treatment with glucocorticoids, in dogs with thoracolumbar intervertebral disk herniation. In this study population, no difference in outcome was found among groups. These findings suggest that the value of dexamethasone administration before surgery in dogs with thoracolumbar disk herniation should be reconsidered.
Levine
Jonathan M
JM
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
Levine
Gwendolyn J
GJ
Boozer
Lindsay
L
Schatzberg
Scott J
SJ
Platt
Simon R
SR
Kent
Marc
M
Kerwin
Sharon C
SC
Fosgate
Geoffrey T
GT
D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006547:Hernia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D059685:Herniorrhaphy; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000473:pathology; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D003907:Dexamethasone