Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with severe calcium poisoning after eating rodent bait
By Talcott, P A et al.·Published in Veterinary and human toxicology·1991·Department of Veterinary Science·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Accidental ingestion of a cholecalciferol-containing rodent bait in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A young dog was brought to the vet after accidentally eating rat poison that contained cholecalciferol, which caused dangerously high calcium levels in its blood. The dog showed signs of severe depression, loss of appetite, and vomiting during treatment. The vet tried giving fluids, diuretics, and corticosteroids to lower the calcium levels over five days, but unfortunately, the dog's condition worsened, and it was euthanized on day nine. This case highlights that even small amounts of cholecalciferol can be very harmful to young dogs.
People also search for: dog rat poison symptoms · cholecalciferol toxicity treatment · why is my dog vomiting and depressed
Abstract
A diagnosis of cholecalciferol toxicity in a young dog was made on the basis of adequate history and the finding of extremely elevated serum calcium levels. The traditional treatment of fluid therapy, diuresis and corticosteroids resulted in lowering the serum calcium levels over a 5-d period. The dog displayed clinical signs of severe depression, anorexia and intermittent vomiting during this time interval. Serum calcium levels rose on day 6 and remained elevated up until the dog was euthanized on day 9. Gross and histopathological examinations revealed diffuse metastatic mineralization throughout the body, particularly involving the lung, kidney, atria and stomach. The amount of cholecalciferol ingested was determined well below the lethal dose reported in dogs. This report indicates that young dogs may be much more susceptible to the lethal effects of this compound than initially believed.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1650054/