Dexamethasone. There’s a good chance you’ve heard of it before, whether from your veterinarian or in the news. It’s a steroid fairly commonly used in all of veterinary medicine, including equine medicine. But recent cases of misuse have brought new attention to the drug, because the side effects can pose serious – even fatal – dangers to a horse.

So what is dexamethasone meant to be used for, what are the risks, and how can horse owners know when it’s safe to use the drug?

Intended uses

Dexamethasone is a glucocorticoid steroid that may be used as an anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive agent. It can be given intramuscularly or intravenously (IV), but is most commonly given orally.

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