Side Effects from Depo-Medrol Injection

pawsha · May 15, 2012

So Im new to this whole 'kitty forum'...please bare with me. I took my cat (Pawsha) into the vet yesturday for a checkup and shot. She has small itchy sites with tiny scabs around her neck...same as last year this time. I took her in then and they gave her a 'steroid' shot...for allergies. The doc told me that if its 'fleas' the itchy sites are at the base of the tail and legs...if its some type of allergy its generalized around the neck/head area...BINGO! Last year...everything went fine...Pawsha was playful...watched birds from the window and ran around like she owns the house...lol...WHICH SHE DOES. This year...I guess because of all the 'recalls' in pet meds this year Ive paid a little more attention to my Pawsha. Yes...the shot was just given yesturday...but all night she slept RIGHT NEXT TO ME...literally. Shes interested in the outside life...just not as much this morning. Her 'potty' trips...normal...breathing...normal...so far so good. I got caught up in reading 'online stories' about this injection and basically scared the crap outta myself. I guess its just like with humans...what may work for some doesnt always work for others. The vet told me that since it was this time last year this occured as well...its most likely allergies and it can be controlled...such as with the injection. She also said that this shot should wear off in 2-4 weeks...so my Pawsha will be back to normal. It was a little scarey reading all those horrible posts...and helpful at the same time. I think what I learned today is to ALWAYS do your research before giving your pet any type of medication...be it from yourself or a vet. I LUV MY KITTY! ~^,,^~

jennyr · May 15, 2012

I have moved this to t his health forum as I think it is more appropriate here. But I wanted to say that it is easy to scare yourself by reading too much online, though I agree that I always want to know what and why cwertain meds are being given and what the side effects might be. Most cats respond well to steroid shots or tablets for certain conditions, including allergies, but vets will usually only give a short course, as the side effeects (if any) normally show after more prolonged use. For a cat to be a bit lethargic and'clingy' after a shot is very normal, and I hope Pawsha gets back to normal very quickly. Keep us posted and please do introduce yourself properly to us all in t he 'New Cats on the Block' forum. Welcome to TCS.

lizzie · May 15, 2012

I never realized they used depo for animals.I guess it makes sense.As an asthmatic,I am very used to depo shots...this time of year I need one about once a month.For myself,I have never noticed any side effects...no jitters...nothing.I'm sure he used the appropriate dosage and your baby will be fine.Those allergies can make them miserable !Hope she finds relief soon!

misty8723 · May 17, 2012

Shortly after Cindy came to live with us, she was licking the fur off the back of her legs. We took her to a vet, who gave her a steroid shot (without first asking us if we wanted her to have one). I don't remember her having serious adverse reactions, but it raised a lump that just wasn't going away. We took her to another vet (the one we are still with), and were about to have it removed and biopsied (I was terrified). However, she gave us some antibiotics because of the same thing, scaly itchy patches. Once Cindy started taking the antibiotic, the lump went down as well. I will never ever get her or any other cat a steroid shot again.

orientalslave · May 17, 2012

Misty8723 said:
<snip>

I will never ever get her or any other cat a steroid shot again.

Never say never. In the right place steroid shots can be life saving, and/or life enhancing. My cat I lost last December was on them for the last 4-5 months of his life, and they got him to eat more and reduced joint pain I think he was having. He had terminal liver tumours, on both lobes so an op was out of the question. He amazed both me and the vets with how long he clung on with a good quality of life. He had two different kinds, one had to go into his muscle but we switched to a subcutaneous one.

ldg · May 17, 2012

Misty8723 said:
Shortly after Cindy came to live with us, she was licking the fur off the back of her legs. We took her to a vet, who gave her a steroid shot (without first asking us if we wanted her to have one). I don't remember her having serious adverse reactions, but it raised a lump that just wasn't going away. We took her to another vet (the one we are still with), and were about to have it removed and biopsied (I was terrified). However, she gave us some antibiotics because of the same thing, scaly itchy patches. Once Cindy started taking the antibiotic, the lump went down as well. I will never ever get her or any other cat a steroid shot again.

Sounds like the problem was an infection at the injection site, not the steroids. :dk: Our Tuxedo would be dead if it weren't for depomedrol. He had feline hemolytic anemia. Prednisolone stopped working, and Depo had a different enough mechanism of action that it was literally a last ditch effort to get his body to stop destroying his own red blood cells (after a two-year fight and blood transfusion). Thankfully it worked. He needed to receive depo shots for the next five years (though longer and longer apart), and now seems to be stable without depo. Knock wood. ...at least for now. I certainly hope one of your kitties never develops FHA.

Pawsha, how's your kitty? Having allergies and asthma, I know the miracle of steroids. :lol3:

misty8723 · May 21, 2012

OrientalSlave said:
Never say never. In the right place steroid shots can be life saving, and/or life enhancing. My cat I lost last December was on them for the last 4-5 months of his life, and they got him to eat more and reduced joint pain I think he was having. He had terminal liver tumours, on both lobes so an op was out of the question. He amazed both me and the vets with how long he clung on with a good quality of life. He had two different kinds, one had to go into his muscle but we switched to a subcutaneous one.

I'm so sorry about your baby, and in that situation of course I wouldn't say no to steroids or anything else that would help with quality of life.

misty8723 · May 21, 2012

LDG said:
Sounds like the problem was an infection at the injection site, not the steroids.

gmam680 · Aug 27, 2013

just went thru the same thing with my 20 pound domestic cat (but he thinks he is a russian blue) his skin condition has been present since the day i adopted him 4 years ago but had gotten out of hand early this summer...so vet gave him a depo-medrol shot a month ago, the things i knew to look for include increased appetite and water intake. check and check...first week a little standoffish but while he kept his distance, he also decided all 20 pounds should be a lap cat and when he climbs into my lap he wants to be groomed because the brushing relieves the itching he still must feel...another thing i have noticed is since the shot, less hair loss when brushing-he is no longer standoffish, most of his behavior has returned to "normal" except now he had dug at this hind legs right at the joint that generally would be on the floor if he were to lay on his stomach, no sure if this is related to the shot or not but need to address this with the vet. while i can handle him, i can't handle him to clean the wounds, dress the wounds etc, so hopefully we can keep infections away and my bank balance up and in my hands and not in the vets. i read all the reviews and "horror stories" but in discussions with my vet, we explored the options and with his skin issue, he deserves a better quality of life and hopefully this will help....and for those considering or doing the research, talk first and foremost to your vet-ask the questions, just like with people medicine, all things don't work the same way nor are reactions all the same....if your pet has a condition that depo-medrol may help, then weigh the options. if you have ever had any kind of surgery, you ran a risk...as does any animal

timmy tomcat · Feb 21, 2016

Thanks for that support. We are not supporters of long term medications as if there are side effects they hang around for too long. That said when it is needed they are of great benefit. Our Buddy just had a ultrasound due to an xray showing an inflamed pancreas. At 16 (maybe 17-18) it is not good and suspicious for cancer. His intestines and lymph nodes also are concerning. We decided that a biopsy would be too much as if he does have cancer there is not much to be done so quality of life is our focus.

Buddy is very very hard to medicate and there is usually blood. Mine not Buddy's.

We decided on Convenia a long acting antibiotic and Depo Mederol. That said we are not fond of Convenia but... keeping stress down for Buddy is what is important. He came home after the injections and fluids hungry and purring looking better than the past month.

Yes there are down sides to many things, but, there may also be good.

Never say never.

Timmy, Dad and Family

dallasstorm · Oct 6, 2016

LDG said:
Sounds like the problem was an infection at the injection site, not the steroids. :dk: Our Tuxedo would be dead if it weren't for depomedrol. He had feline hemolytic anemia. Prednisolone stopped working, and Depo had a different enough mechanism of action that it was literally a last ditch effort to get his body to stop destroying his own red blood cells (after a two-year fight and blood transfusion). Thankfully it worked. He needed to receive depo shots for the next five years (though longer and longer apart), and now seems to be stable without depo. Knock wood. ...at least for now. I certainly hope one of your kitties never develops FHA.

Pawsha, how's your kitty? Having allergies and asthma, I know the miracle of steroids. :lol3:

Sorry have to disagree. First off let me apologize as I know this is a older post, but I randomly came across it. But my Willow is a little over a year old. We first did a ringworm culture test and that came back negative. He said it could be allergies to food or just from outside (even though she is strictly indoor only) allergens from opening and closing the door. So he suggested a Depo Med shot as she was scratching like crazy (fully declawed) but was managing to get a big spot of hair off under her neck and then started on the other side and had a fingertip size spot by the time I took her in. He gave her the shot on 10/05/16 and it is 5:26am of 10/06/16 (this did start earlier) she wants to lay around, not play and the site of the injection is very sore. She is grumpy and not loveable. And that is soooo not like her. She is usually my shadow and when just chillin' and watching TV at night she will get up here and lay with me. I went to pick her up and she started crying. Her meow was that of pain. She even growled very low at me which she never does. My loving, fun fur baby has changed! So yes it is that steroid shot.She may not be scratching, but at what cost? To wait 2-4 weeks to have my cat back to normal and by then the medicine will be almost out of her system! It only lasts 4-6 weeks he said. There has to be something better. This is not a good medicine!

dallasstorm · Nov 28, 2016

Timmy Tomcat said:
Thanks for that support. We are not supporters of long term medications as if there are side effects they hang around for too long. That said when it is needed they are of great benefit. Our Buddy just had a ultrasound due to an xray showing an inflamed pancreas. At 16 (maybe 17-18) it is not good and suspicious for cancer. His intestines and lymph nodes also are concerning. We decided that a biopsy would be too much as if he does have cancer there is not much to be done so quality of life is our focus.

Buddy is very very hard to medicate and there is usually blood. Mine not Buddy's.

We decided on Convenia a long acting antibiotic and Depo Mederol. That said we are not fond of Convenia but... keeping stress down for Buddy is what is important. He came home after the injections and fluids hungry and purring looking better than the past month.

Yes there are down sides to many things, but, there may also be good.

Never say never.

Timmy, Dad and Family

I just went through that very same thing with my 16 year old cat Athena. Banfield misdiagnosed her and said she had Kidney Failure. Took her to another vet and he looked at their results and said he would have never told me that. Spent 200.00 for new blood work and this was 11 months later and her numbers came way down and she did not have Kidney Failure. He was 80% positive it was Intestinal Lymphoma and only 20% that it was IBS. We tried Prednisone and B12 2 different times. First time was for 15 days. Check up nothing changed. No gain in weight, no more loss in weight. He didn't want to give up yet and felt we didn't give her enough time on the meds. So we did 20 more days on both. I changed her food (she had brick red gums and the only molar was abscessed) to more moist food and Purina Pro Plan which the pieces are very tiny. She could just swallow and not chew. Went back again. She gained a pound. But for her and her arthritis that really isn't good. He wanted to give her the Prednisone shot so I wouldn't have to give her the pills. But she was still throwing up even on the meds every day or every other day. Or he said the other option of looking at her quality of life and choosing to put her to sleep. I said I would wait and think about it. But after much crying and though. Her quality of life was not good. In 11 months she went from 17.3 lbs to 9.7 lbs and the stress that a 1 yr old kitty was giving her too was not helping. Willow wanted to play. Willow didn't know. But I got Willow before I knew she was sick.

So end result with a very saddened heart on 11/21/2016 Athena was put to sleep in my arms and I had her privately cremated. This was my very first baby that I had ever had and I had her from 5 weeks (we thought she was a boy) to 16 yrs old.

How is Buddy?

timmy tomcat · Dec 9, 2016

We are so sorry to hear about Athena. You gave her a good life full of love and that is what is important.

Our vet feels Buddy has Intestinal Lymphoma also. He has been doing well on Triamcinolone about 1mg to 1.5 mg a week. He was actually on much less over the summer.

He is still eating but has slowed down in activity. He now will go on our cat walk now and then when it was a regular thing. I don't think I have seen him up there for a week or two.

That said he loves to sit with me and purr after he gets his meals. We are hoping for Jan 31st where he will be 17(maybe 18) and will give him a big party.

We thank you for asking about him and send purrs and prayers of support. Glad you have Willow to keep the home happy

Timmy, Dad Pete and Family

Side Effects from Depo-Medrol Injection

pawsha

TCS Member

Thread starter

jennyr

TCS Member

lizzie

TCS Member

misty8723

TCS Member

orientalslave

TCS Member

ldg

TCS Member

misty8723

TCS Member

misty8723

TCS Member

gmam680

TCS Member

timmy tomcat

TCS Member

dallasstorm

TCS Member

dallasstorm

TCS Member

timmy tomcat

TCS Member

Latest Posts

Connect with us