female feline steroid shots for

Question
My 10 year old female cat has miliary mange and she has had a few steroid shots. I am very worried about her health and the effects of steroids on her.

She was taken at about a week old, malnourished and abused for a few more weeks until I got hold of her.

The steroids seem to work well, but not for long enough, so it looks like steroid shots will be a regular thing. I am worried about her health. She is a silver tabby, but from the neck down her hair is sort of falling out or going reddish. I can feel lumps all over her, so I will probably get her another steroid shot soon.

I just want to know how safe steroid shots are for cats and if there are any side-effects.

Thanks.

Answer
Ava,

I know when it comes to steroids that are absorbed systemically it's best to keep the dosages as small and infrequent as possible as they can have the same side effects in cats as they can in humans (immuno-suppression, weight gain, diabetes, etc)... My suggestion would be to visit a holistic veterinarian prior to deciding on another steroid shot to see if you can get this cleared up using nutrition, homeopathic remedies or herbal remedies rather than steroids because you really don't want to take the chance of making your kitty any sicker than she already is! We really do our best to avoid steroids with our kitties whenever possible because we truly feel that minimizing their use is in the best interests of our kitties. If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me again at any time - I'm more than happy to help in any way that I can.

Kind regards,

Ali