POM-V Prescription Required Companion Animal

Dexafast 2 mg/ml Solution for Injection for Horses, Cattle, Goats, Pigs, Dogs and Cats

Active ingredient: Dexamethasone

Form

Injection

Species

Cats Cattle Dogs Goats Horses Pigs

Manufacturer

Industrial Veterinaria SA

VMD MA No.

36547/3008

What it's used for

Cattle: Induction of parturition. Treatment of primary ketosis (acetonaemia). Goats: Treatment of primary ketosis (acetonaemia). Horses: Treatment of arthr...

Full indications, dosage and side effects ↓

View official SPC (PDF)

The prescription itself has a price. See what practices near you charge for a consultation and the written prescription fee.

Paying less for Dexamethasone

1

Ask your vet for a written prescription

They must provide one on request. Under the CMA Order the fee is capped at £21 from 2027.
2

Fill it at a registered online retailer

The CMA found online pharmacies 50–60% cheaper than practice dispensing on common medicines — typically £200–£300 a year.

Your prescription rights → VMD register of retailers →

Prescription required

Your vet must provide a written prescription on request. You can then purchase from any licensed online retailer.

Clinical information

Dexafast 2 mg/ml Solution for Injection for Horses, Cattle, Goats, Pigs, Dogs and Cats — SPC Details

Source: VMD Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC). Last updated 27 Mar 2026.

Cattle:
Induction of parturition.
Treatment of primary ketosis (acetonaemia).
Goats:
Treatment of primary ketosis (acetonaemia).
Horses:
Treatment of arthritis, bursitis or tenosynovitis.

Except in emergency situations, do not use in animals suffering from diabetes
mellitus, renal insufficiency, cardiac insufficiency, hyperadrenocorticism or
osteoporosis.
Do not use in viral infections during the viraemic stage or in cases of systemic
mycotic infections.
Do not use in animals suffering from gastrointestinal or corneal ulcers, or
demodicosis.
Do not administer intra-articularly where there is evidence of fractures, bacterial joint
infections and aseptic bone necrosis.
Do not use in cases of hypersensitivity to the active substance, to corticosteroids or
to any of the excipients.
See also section 3.7.

Horses, cattle, goats, pigs, dogs and cats:
Very rare
(<1 animal /
10,000 animals
treated,
including isolated
reports)
hypersensitivity reactionsUndetermined
frequency
(cannot be
estimated from
the available
data)
iatrogenic hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing´s disease)¹,
polyuria
, polydipsia
, polyphagia
, sodium retention
,
water retention
, hypokalaemia
, cutaneous calcinosis,
delayed wound healing, weakened resistance to or
exacerbation of existing infections
, gastrointestinal
ulceration
, hepatomegaly
, changes in blood
biochemical and haematological parameters,
hyperglycaemia
, retained placenta
, reduced viability of
the calf
pancreatitis
, laminitis, milk production
decrease
¹ Iatrogenic hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing´s disease), involving significant alteration
of fat, carbohydrate, protein and mineral metabolism, e.g. redistribution of body fat,
muscle weakness and wastage and osteoporosis may result.
After systemic administration and particularly during the early stages of therapy.
Upon long-term use.
In the presence of bacterial infection, antibacterial drug cover is usually required
when steroids are used. In the presence of viral infections, steroids may worsen or
hasten the progress of the disease.
May be exacerbated by steroids in patients given non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs and in animals with spinal cord trauma.
Increased serum hepatic enzymes.
Transient.
When used for induction of parturition in cattle, with possible subsequent metritis
and/or subfertility.
When used for induction of parturition in cattle particularly at early time points.
Increased risk of acute pancreatitis.
Anti-inflammatory corticosteroids, such as dexamethasone, are known to exert a
wide range of side effects. Whilst single high doses are generally well tolerated, they
may induce severe side-effects in long term use and when esters possessing a long
duration of action are administered. During medium to long term use the dose should
therefore generally be kept to the minimum necessary to control symptoms.
During therapy effective doses suppress the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis.
Following cessation of treatment, symptoms 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 (for further discussion see standard texts).
Reporting adverse events is important. It allows continuous safety monitoring of a
veterinary medicinal product. Reports should be sent, preferably via a veterinarian, to
either the marketing authorisation holder or its local representative or the national
competent authority via the national reporting system. See the package leaflet for
respective contact details.

None.

Special precautions for safe use in the target species:
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.
Because of the pharmacological properties of the active ingredient, special care
should be taken when the veterinary medicinal product is used in animals with a
weakened immune system.
Except in cases of acetonaemia and induction of parturition, the purpose of
corticosteroid administration is to produce an improvement in clinical signs rather
than a cure. The underlying disease should be further investigated. Following intra-
articular administration, use of the joint should be minimized for one month and
surgery on the joint should not be performed within eight weeks of use of this route of
administration.
Special precautions to be taken by the person administering the veterinary medicinal
product to animals:
Care should be taken to avoid accidental self-injection.
In case of accidental self-injection, seek medical advice immediately and show the
package leaflet or the label to the physician.
The veterinary medicinal product should not be administered by pregnant women.
Avoid contact with skin and eyes. In the event of accidental eye or skin contact, wash
the area thoroughly with clean running water.
People with known hypersensitivity to the active substance or any of the excipients
should avoid contact with the veterinary medicinal product.
Wash hands after use.
Special precautions for the protection of the environment:
Not applicable.

Concurrent use with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may exacerbate
gastrointestinal tract ulceration.
Because corticosteroids can reduce the immune response to vaccination,
dexamethasone should not be used in combination with vaccines or within two weeks
after vaccination.
Administration of dexamethasone may induce hypokalaemia and hence increase the
risk of toxicity from cardiac glycosides. The risk of hypokalaemia may be increased if
dexamethasone is administered together with potassium depleting diuretics.
Concurrent use with anticholinesterase may lead to increased muscle weakness in
patients with myasthenia gravis.
Glucocorticoids antagonise the effects of insulin.
Concurrent use with phenobarbital, phenytoin and rifampicin can reduce the effects
of dexamethasone.

Keep the vial in the outer carton in order to protect from light.
This veterinary medicinal product does not require any special temperature storage
conditions.

Meat and offal:
Cattle, goats: 8 days.
Pigs: 2 days following intramuscular administration.
6 days following intravenous administration.
Horses: 8 days.
Milk:
Cattle, goats: 72 hours.
Horses: Not authorised for use in horses producing milk for human
consumption.

This information is sourced from the official Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) published by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD). It is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace professional veterinary advice. Always consult your vet before administering any medication.