Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ethylene glycol poisoning in dogs and cats treated in Canada
By Sauder, Taylor et al.·Published in The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne·2026·Western College of Veterinary Medicine, Canada·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A retrospective case series of companion animals hospitalized for ethylene glycol poisoning at a Canadian veterinary teaching hospital.
Plain-English summary
A young male dog was brought to the emergency vet after showing signs of poisoning from antifreeze, which contains ethylene glycol. Unfortunately, many pets are often taken to the vet too late for effective treatment. In this case, the dog received IV fluids and an antidote, but only about one-third of dogs with this poisoning survived, while none of the cats did. If you suspect your pet has ingested antifreeze, it's crucial to seek veterinary help immediately, as early treatment is key to improving their chances of recovery.
People also search for: dog antifreeze poisoning symptoms · cat antifreeze treatment · signs of poisoning in pets · how to treat ethylene glycol poisoning in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Ethylene glycol (EG), the toxic ingredient in some antifreeze products, is a potent animal poison. OBJECTIVE AND ANIMALS: Our objective was to characterize EG poisoning in cats and dogs hospitalized at a Canadian veterinary teaching hospital. PROCEDURE: We conducted a medical record review. RESULTS: Twenty-one cases were included from the 17-year study period (dogs= 15, cats= 6). Common signalments were young male intact dogs (= 5) and adult spayed female cats (= 4). More cases were presented in summer (= 10) than other seasons. Cases were often presented > 8 h after onset of signs (= 12). Diagnostic tests included venous blood gas (= 17), serum chemistry (= 14), urinalysis (= 14), AFAST/TFAST (= 6), and full abdominal ultrasonography (= 2). The most common treatments were IV fluids (= 17) and 4-methylpyrazole (= 8). The survival-to-discharge rates were 33% and 0% for dogs and cats, respectively. CONCLUSION: Poisoning with EG had a high fatality rate in dogs and cats presented to the emergency clinic. Animals were often presented late in the course of poisoning, making antidotal therapy unsuccessful. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Regardless of time of year, EG should be considered a differential diagnosis for animals with CNS depression, gastrointestinal signs, and evidence of acute kidney injury. In clinics that do not have commercial diagnostic tests available, the authors recommend combining findings from venous blood gas, urinalysis, ultrasonography, and a Wood's lamp screen to establish a diagnosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42095169/