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Systemic glucocorticoid usage in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK: prevalence and risk factors

Glucocorticoids are widely used in primary care veterinary practices. The study aimed to quantify the usage of systemic glucocorticoids (SGC) in dogs in the UK using primary care treatment records recorded during 2013 in the VetCompass Programme. From a study population of 455 557 dogs, 28 472 dogs (6.2 per cent, 95 per cent CI 6.2 to 6.3) received a total of 50 971 SGC therapy events in 2013. Prednisolone represented the most frequently used oral preparation (27 362 events, 90.0 per cent of oral events). Dexamethasone sodium phosphate was the most commonly used injectable agent (12 796 events, 62.7 per cent of injectable events). The most common breed treated was Staffordshire Bull Terriers (2236/28 472 dogs, 7.9 per cent, 95 per cent CI 7.5 to 8.2) and within-breed prevalence of SGC usage was 2236/32 635, 6.9 per cent, 95 per cent CI 6.6 to 7.1. The most commonly treated age group was dogs older than eight years (8931/28472, 31.4 per cent) and the most commonly treated bodyweight group was 10.01–20.0 kg (7918/28 472, 27.8 per cent). Dexamethasone and prednisolone were the most commonly prescribed SGC. Short-acting and intermediate-acting injectable SGC were more commonly used compared with long-acting injectable SGC. Older and medium size dogs were most likely to receive SGC and certain breeds appeared predisposed. These data can provide a useful benchmark for glucocorticoid usage and highlight the benefits from ‘Big Data’ analyses.