Short-term prednisolone therapy has minimal impact on calcium metabolism in dogs with atopic dermatitis

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are a large group of drugs used to treat a range of inflammatory, autoimmune and neoplastic diseases in dogs. Glucocorticoids have been linked to disturbances in calcium metabolism and skeletal disorders in humans, yet their effects at therapeutically effective dosages in dogs with spontaneous diseases are poorly understood. Serum concentrations of calcium, phosphate, vitamin D metabolites and plasma concentrations of parathyroid hormone and ionised calcium together with urinary fractional excretion of calcium and phosphate, were measured in 16 dogs with atopic dermatitis before and 6 weeks after standard dosage prednisolone treatment (0.93-1.06 mg/kg) every other day after 7 days of treatment with the same dosage once daily. The severity of their physical signs, as assessed by the canine atopic dermatitis extent and severity index version 3 (CADESI-03) and the Edinburgh Pruritus Scale (EPS), decreased in all dogs following prednisolone treatment. There was no significant difference in any of the biochemical parameters measured following prednisolone treatment. This study indicates that prednisolone, used at a therapeutically effective dose, has minimal impact on calcium metabolism in dogs with atopic dermatitis.