Steroid Side Effects: What Owners Notice, and What Vet Records Miss
Thirst, peeing and hunger are common on steroid tablets. What a UK records study and a US owner survey found, and why the two numbers differ.
Written by thecanineledger
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If your dog is on a steroid and is vomiting, has diarrhoea, or seems unwell, call your vet. Don’t stop or change the course without asking first.
Our note: This advice is ours. Neither study we read covers stopping a course early.
A study of UK vet records found side effects noted in fewer than one in 20 dogs given steroids. A smaller US study asked owners directly. By day 14, “90% of owners (28/31) reported at least 1 change in their dog’s behavior” (Gober and Hillier, BMC Veterinary Research 2023).
While both numbers are real, they measure different things. One counts what vets wrote down. The other counts what owners saw at home. This page covers short courses of steroid tablets and injections, the anti-inflammatory kind often used for itchy skin. It doesn’t cover long-term use.
1. What the vet records show
The study. Researchers used VetCompass, a database of anonymised UK primary-care records, covering 455,557 dogs seen in 2013. About 6% of them were given a steroid by tablet or injection that year (Elkholly et al., Frontiers in Veterinary Science 2020).
How often. They read the records of 3,000 treated dogs at random. 148 of them, or 4.9%, were “dogs with at least one side effect recorded within 31 days of therapy.”
Which ones. “The most frequent side effects were polydipsia (39.2% of total presenting signs), polyuria (28.4%), vomiting (16.2%) and diarrhea (14.9%)”. Polydipsia is drinking more. Polyuria is peeing more.
Tablets and injections. Dogs given only tablets had higher odds of drinking and peeing more than dogs given only an injection. Dogs given both had higher odds still.
Our note: Tablet courses may simply last longer than one injection, which could explain part of the tablet-versus-injection finding.
2. What owners notice
The study. Six US practices enrolled dogs starting an anti-inflammatory course of steroid tablets. “There were 45 dogs initially enrolled in the study.” “At each study point, 31 owners provided results.” Owners filled in surveys on day 0, day 5 and day 14.
What they saw. The common changes were drinking, peeing, eating and panting more. “Overall, 61% (19/31) of owners reported an increase in filling of the water bowl over baseline and one-third (11/31) of pet owners reported cleaning up urinary accidents for pets who had been continent prior to the start of the study.”
Lower doses too. “Adverse events were noted regardless of starting dosage or regimen.”
Most were still satisfied. Owners rated the treatment well because it worked on the itch or other signs. Asked 30 days later, 16 of 23 owners said they would choose a treatment with fewer side effects even at a higher cost.
How small it is. 31 dogs, with no comparison group of untreated dogs. Owners knew their dogs were on steroids.
3. Why the two numbers differ
Owners rarely called. In the US study, “Only 2 (6%) owners contacted their veterinarian during the study period to discuss changes in their dog’s behaviour.”
Vets may not write it down. The UK authors say “it is possible that common side effects may not have been recorded, due to the anticipation of such side effects, suggesting that the current results may underestimate the frequency of complications.”
Owners expect it. “Owners’ previous experience of expected side effects from using glucocorticoids may additionally have led to reduced reporting to the veterinarian and additional under-reporting of side effects.”
So the records figure is likely a floor, not the true rate. The owner survey is too small to give a reliable rate either.
4. Who paid for the research
Both studies were funded by the same animal-health company. In the US study, both authors worked for it, and “Study participants and investigators were compensated for their participation in the study.” In the UK study, two of the seven authors worked for it.
Neither fact makes the results wrong. It’s still worth knowing, because the US authors point to newer medicines as an option when side effects matter.
Our note: We didn’t check whether this company sells other itch treatments.
5. What to ask your vet
- What side effects should I expect, and which ones mean I should call?
- How long is the course, and how should it end?
- Is there another option if my dog drinks and pees a lot, or has accidents?
- Leave more water out, and allow more trips outside.
Our note: These points are ours. Neither study covers long-term effects.
→ The Itchy Dog: Allergies, Atopic Dermatitis, and What Actually Helps · → Incontinence in Older Dogs
6. What we could not verify
| Commonly said | What we found |
|---|---|
| “Short steroid courses rarely cause side effects” | Rare in vet records, at 4.9% in one UK study. Owners in a small US study reported changes in most dogs by day 14. |
| “A lower dose avoids side effects” | Not in one small study. Owners noticed changes whatever the starting dose. |
| “Accidents on steroids mean a bladder problem” | Not confirmed either way. A third of owners in one study cleaned up accidents in dogs that were house-trained before. Ask your vet. |
| “The research is independent” | No. Both studies we read were funded by one animal-health company. |
Sources
- Elkholly DA, Brodbelt DC, Church DB, et al. Side Effects to Systemic Glucocorticoid Therapy in Dogs Under Primary Veterinary Care in the UK. Front Vet Sci 2020: cohort study of VetCompass records. Funded by an animal-health company; two authors employed by it
- Gober M, Hillier A. Perception and usage of short-term [drug name omitted] in dogs. BMC Vet Res 2023: owner survey, 31 dogs, six US practices. Funded by an animal-health company that employed both authors
Always confirm with your vet before acting on anything on this page.