This study was undertaken to determine the effect of oral hydrocortisone on intraocular pressure (IOP) in ocular normotensive dogs. Seventeen ocular normotensive dogs were included.
Dogs were randomly assigned to treatment (n = 9) and control (n = 8) groups.
Dogs in the treatment group received hydrocortisone, 3.3 mg/kg PO every 8 h, and dogs in the control group received gelatin capsule placebo PO every 8 h for 5 weeks.
Applanation tonometry was performed on both eyes of all dogs prior to treatment and then once weekly for 5 weeks during hydrocortisone treatment.
Results: No significant effect of treatment was noted for right (P = 0.1013) or left (P = 0.1157) eyes during the treatment period, nor was there significant interaction of treatment by week for the right (P = 0.9456) or left (P = 0.3577) eyes. A significant rise in IOP over the treatment period was noted in both right (P < 0.0001) and left (P = 0.0006) eyes of both groups, but was unrelated to treatment.
Thus, orally administered hydrocortisone does not significantly increase IOP in nonglaucomatous dogs when administered over a 5-week period.
Source: Herring, Ian P., Herring, Erin S. & Ward, Daniel L. (2004): Effect of orally administered hydrocortisone on intraocular pressure in nonglaucomatous dogs. In: Veterinary Ophthalmology 7 (6), 381-384.
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