First used medically in the 1940's, steroids are very potent anti-inflammatory medications that have many uses in human and equine veterinary medicine. They are based on and modeled after the body's own corticosteroid hormone cortisol, which has many vital effects in the body, including a strong anti-inflammatory effect.

Steroids work by blocking the body's main inflammatory cascade (arachidonic acid cascade) at a high level, reducing the production of many inflammatory mediators and reducing the action of inflammatory cells. This reduces the body's response to an insult, and reduces body-wide inflammation, as well as local effects of swelling, redness, itchiness and irritation and pain.

Many different synthetic steroid types have been derived from the basic molecular model of cortisone. The most common injectable steroids used in equine veterinary practice are dexamethasone, methylprednisolone acetate (Depomedrol), triamcinolone acetate (Vetalog, Kenalog), and betamethasone. Each of these has different effects, potency and duration of action.

In equine veterinary medicine steroids are commonly used for a multitude of conditions including allergic skin conditions, airway disease, anaphylaxis, brain and spinal cord injury, autoimmune diseases and shock. Oral medications are often given when long-term treatment is needed.

YOUR VET'S ROLE

Your vet chooses steroids when the powerful anti-inflammatory benefits for a particular condition offset the risk of side effects. Courses of steroids are usually tapered off to avoid the undesirable effects of discontinuation.

YOUR ROLE

Whenever a horse is on long-term steroids, it is important to ensure that it receives the proper dose. You need to monitor the horse for the desired effect and for any of the mentioned side effects.