At home poisonings Flashcards
What were the top 10 pet toxins in 2019?
- OTC medications
- Human prescription medications
- Foods
- Chocolate
- Veterinary products
- household products
- Rodenticides
- Plants
- Insecticides
- Garden Products
What critical information is needed for poisonings?
- Full trade name of the product-bring in the container
- Ingredient list: both active and inert
- Concentration of ingredients
- Ingredient list: both active and inert
- Amount of exposure of the product the animal contacted
- Clinical signs and progression in relation to time of exposure
- Treatments given by the owner….if any
What is ethylene glycol?
- Antifreeze - 95%
- Dilute 50% with water for use in engines
- Major killer of pets
- Can be difficult to recognize and treat
- Must act quickly
- High death rate >75%
- can be used as a malicious poison
What are the toxic levels of Ethylene glycol?
- Cats:
- 1.5 mL EG/kg = 5.45 mL (8lb cat)
- Oxalic Acid
- Dogs:
- 4.6 mL EG/kg
- 9.5 mL/kg ⇢ death in as little as 12 hours
- Cattle:
- 6-10 mL/kg lethal
What is the MOA of ethylene glycol?
- Absorbed intact
- Peak blood levels in 1-4 hrs
- Initially mild CNS depression (like ethanol)
- Rapidly metabolized by liver enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase to:
- toxic organic acids ⇢ acidosis
- Hypocalcemia
- Calcium oxalate crystals in kidney
What are the clinical signs of ethylene glycol toxicosis?
-
Acute (1st) stage (30minutes -12 hrs)
- Vomiting, ataxia, depression, PU/PD
- Inebriation
-
2nd stage (12-24-72 hrs)
- Severe depression (acidosis)
- Vomiting, dehydration
- Oliguria with isosthenuria; miosis, coma
- Occasional seizures due to hypocalcemia
-
3rd Stage:
- Oliguria renal failure
- Acidosis
- Uremia
How is Ethylene glycol toxicosis diagnosed?
- CBC:
- Dehydration: ⇡ PCV, ⇡ serum protein
- Stress leukogram: neutrophilia and lymphopenia
- Dx:
- Serum hyperosmolarity, large anion gap (3*48hrs)
- Hyperglycemia, hyperkalemia, hypocalcemia
- Elevated BUN, creatinine, phosphorus (phosphate rust inhibitor)
- Low USG
- Laboratory:
- Urine pH <6.5
- Sever metabolic acidosis
- Hypocalcemia, approximately 50% of cases
- Calcium oxalate crystalluria
- Calcium Oxalate Nephrosis (visualized with polarized light)
- Detection of EG in Serum
- Ethylene Glycol Test Kit, PRN Pharmacal
- Most effective early in the disease while EG still present
- False positives with Propylene Glycol and Glycerol
- Ethylene Glycol Test Kit, PRN Pharmacal
- Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry
What is the treatment for Ethylene glycol toxicosis?
- Reduce further absorption:
- emetics, activated charcoal, cathartics within 1-2 hrs
- Increase excretion, correct dehydration - IV fluids
- Combat acidosis - Na bicarb
- Block EG metabolism, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) start within 1-2 hrs after ingestion
- 4-MP (fomepizole) (4-methyl pyrazole) available as Antizol-Vet
- Antidote $$$$
-
Ethanol (20% in slow IV fluids) used in the past but can cause respiratory depression. Competitive inhibitor of ADH
- Preferred antidote for cats
- IV until very inebriated
- Hemodialysis
What is Fomepizole?
- 4-MP
- Preferred treatment in dogs
- Needs to be used within 8 hours of ingested of EG
- Not recommended as an alternative to ethanol in cats
- $$$$
- 1gm/ml (1.5 ml vial)
What is the effect of the antidote in Ethylene glycol toxicosis?
- Ethylene glycol
- alcohol dehydrogenase
- glycoaldehyde
- glycolic acid
- glyoxalic acid
- oxalic acid
- Ca oxalate crystals
What are Methylxanthine Alkaloids?
- Natural Product:
- Caffeine
- Theobromine
- Theophylline
- In food, beverages, medications
What is the MOA of Methylxanthine Alkaloids?
- Competitive antagonism of adenosine on adenosine receptors
- Bronchodilation
- Vasoconstriction
- Tachycardia
- CNS stimulation
- Increases amounts of intracellular Ca
- Inhibits Phosphodiesterase
- Increases cAMP ⇢ release of catecholamines
- Stimulates the sympathetic nervous system
- “Bouncing Dog”
What are the pharmacologic outcomes of Methylxanthine Alkaloids?
- Cerebral stimulants
- hyperactivity, agitation, seizures
- Myocardial stimulant
- tachycardia
- Increased motor activity, over response to stimuli, tremors
- Diuretic = Polyuria
- GI irritation = vomiting, diarrhea
What is the toxic level of caffeine?
- Lethal dose:
- Dogs 110-200 mg/kg (LD50 140 mg/kg)
- Cats 80-150 mg/kg
What are the sources of Theobromine?
- Chocolate products or byproducts
- Cocoa Mulch
What are the different levels of Theobromine in common chocolates?
- Baking chocolate 390-450 mg/oz
- Cocoa 400-737 mg/oz
- Cocoa bean mulch 56-850 mg/oz
- Special dark sweet choc chips 207 mg/oz
- Milk chocolate 44-60 mg/oz
- White chocolate 0.25 mg/oz
What are the toxic levels of Theobromine?
- LD50 dogs 250-500 mg/kg
- Lethal dose as low as 115mg/kg
- A 10 kg (22lb) dog could be poisoned by 2.25 oz baking chocolate (~½ common 4oz bars)
What is the half life of theobromine and what are the implications of the half-life?
- 17.5 hours
- More time to decontaminate animal
What are the clinical effects of Theobromine?
- Strong Cardiac Stimulant
- tachycardia @ 200-300bpm
- Arrhythmias
- premature ventricular contractions
- CNS: excitement, hyperreflexia, seizures
- May also have vomiting & urinary incontinence
Urine dribbling is a common sign of what 2 toxicities?
- Theobromine (chocolate)
- Weed
What are the sources of Theophylline?
- Tea
- Human pharmaceutical
- used to treat bronchoconstriction and cough
How is Methylxanthine Alkaloids toxicosis diagnosed?
- Hx, clinical signs
- Detection of alkaloids
- urine
- serum
- stomach content
- liver
What is the treatment for Methylxanthine Alkaloids toxicosis?
- Artificial Respiration
- Emetic, lavage, activated charcoal
- Control seizures
- Monitor the heart
- Lidocaine for VPCs in dogs (Propranolol in cats)
- Beta blockers as needed
- Fluids
- Residual effects unlikely
What is the treatment for Methylxanthine Alkaloids toxicosis?
- Artificial Respiration
- Emetic, lavage, activated charcoal
- Control seizures
- Monitor the heart
- Lidocaine for VPCs in dogs (Propranolol in cats)
- Beta blockers as needed
- Fluids
- Residual effects unlikely
What Herbicides are toxic to animals?
- Phenoxy Herbicides
- Dinitro Herbicides
- Paraquat
What are Phenoxy Herbicides?
- Mimic plant growth regulator IAA
- Indol-3-acetic acid
- Selective
- 2,4-D
What are the toxic levels of Phenoxy herbicides?
- Cattle:
- Acute 200 mg/kg
- 10-30 days 100mg/kg
- Chronic 2000 ppm in diet
- Dogs
- Acute 100 mg/kg
- 10-30 days 25 mg/kg
- Chronic 500 ppm in diet
What is the Absorption and Distribution of Phenoxy Herbicides?
- Absorption - rapid, readily absorbed
- Distribution - wide
How is Phenoxy Herbicides metabolized and excreted?
- Metabolism - not appreciably metabolized
- Excretion - Urine, little to no accumulation
What is the MOA of Phenoxy Herbicide toxicosis?
- Uncouples oxidative phosphorylation
- Inhibits protein synthesis
- Ribonuclease synthesis inhibition
- Decreases chloride conductance in dogs
What are the clinical signs of Phenoxy Herbicides toxicosis?
- Dogs:
- Vomiting, diarrhea
- Myotonia, ataxia, posterior weakness, periodic spasms, muscle weakness
- Cattle:
- Anorexia
- Rumen atony
- Bloat
- diarrhea
- oral ulceration