Except in emergency situations, do not use in animals suffering from diabetes, chronic nephritis, renal disease, congestive heart failure, or osteoporosis.

Do not use in viral infections during the viraemic stage.

For animal treatment only. Keep out of reach and sight of children.

Anti-inflammatory corticosteroids are known to exert a wide range of side-effects. Whilst single high doses are generally well tolerated, they may induce severe adverse reactions with long-term use, and when esters possessing a long duration of action are administered. Dosage in medium to long-term use should therefore generally be kept to the minimum necessary to control the clinical signs.

Steroids themselves, during treatment, may cause cushinoid symptoms involving significant alteration of fat, carbohydrate, protein and mineral metabolism (e.g. redistribution of body fat, muscle weakness and wastage and osteoporosis may result).

During therapy, effective doses suppress the hypothalamo-pituitreal adrenal axis. Following cessation of treatment, signs of adrenal insufficiency extending to adrenocortical atrophy can arise, and this may render the animal unable to deal adequately with stressful situations. Consideration should therefore be given to means of minimising problems of adrenal insufficiency following the withdrawal of treatment, e.g. dosing to coincide with the time of endogenous cortisol peak (i.e. in the morning with regard to dogs and the evening with regard to cats) and a gradual reduction of dosage (for further information see standard texts).

Systemically administered corticosteroids may cause polyuria, polydipsia and polyphagia, particularly during the early stages of therapy. Some corticosteroids may cause sodium and water retention and hypokalaemia in long-term use. Systemic corticosteroids have caused deposition of calcium in the skin (calcinosis cutis).

Corticosteroid use may delay wound healing and the immunosuppressant actions may weaken resistance to or exacerbate existing infections. In the presence of bacterial infection, concurrent antibacterial therapy is usually required. In the presence of viral infections, corticosteroids may worsen or hasten the progress of the disease. It is recommended that corticosteroids are not administered to animals with mycotic infections.

Gastrointestinal ulceration has been reported in animals treated with corticosteroids and gastro intestinal tract ulceration may be exacerbated by steroids in patients given non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and in animals with spinal cord trauma.

Corticosteroid use may cause enlargement of the liver (hepatomegaly) with increased serum hepatic enzymes and may increase the risk of acute pancreatitis. Other possible adverse reactions associated with corticosteroid use include changes in blood biochemical and haematological parameters.

Care should be taken when the product is used for the treatment of laminitis in horses, where there is the possibility that such treatment could worsen the condition. The use of the product in horses for other conditions could induce laminitis and careful observation during the treatment period should be made.

Response to long-term therapy should be monitored at regular intervals by a veterinary surgeon.

Use of corticosteroids in horses has been reported to induce laminitis. Therefore, horses treated with such preparations should be monitored frequently during the treatment period. When treating groups of animals, use a draw-off needle to avoid excessive broaching of the stopper. Only the 25 ml or 30 ml vial should be used for treating cats, dogs or small piglets.

Care should be taken to avoid self-injection.

Apart from the use of Rapidexon® to induce parturition in cattle, corticosteroids are not recommended for use in pregnant animals. Administration in early pregnancy is known to have caused foetal abnormalities in laboratory animals. Administration in late pregnancy is likely to cause abortion or early parturition in ruminants, and may have a similar effect in other species.

If the product is used for induction of parturition in cattle, then a high incidence of retained placentae may be experienced and possible subsequent metritis and/or subfertility.

Use of the product in lactating cows may cause a reduction in milk yield.

Gastrointestinal tract ulceration may be exacerbated by corticosteroids in patients given non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Because corticosteroids can reduce the immunoresponse to vaccination, dexamethasone should not be used in combination with vaccines.

Cattle meat: 7 days

Milk: 60 hours

Pig meat: 2 days

Not for use in horses intended for human consumption.