Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Acute liver failure in two dogs after eating cheese tree roots
By Griebsch, Christine et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary emergency and critical care (San Antonio, Tex. : 2001)·2019·University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Australia·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Acute liver failure in two dogs following ingestion of cheese tree (Glochidion ferdinandi) roots.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 2-year-old Bullmastiff and a 5-year-old German Shepherd were brought to the vet after they both became lethargic and started vomiting. The dogs had eaten roots from a cheese tree, which caused acute liver failure. They were treated with fluids, medications to protect the liver, vitamin K, antibiotics, and blood transfusions. After a month of care, both dogs were doing well and had normal liver function tests, showing that they had fully recovered.
People also search for: dog vomiting after eating tree roots · Bullmastiff liver failure treatment · German Shepherd lethargy and vomiting
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the management and resolution of acute liver failure (ALF) in two dogs following ingestion of cheese tree (Glochidion ferdinandi) roots. CASE SUMMARIES: A 2-year-old male entire Bullmastiff and a 5-year-old female neutered German Shepherd dog were presented for acute-onset lethargy and vomiting after chewing on tree roots of a cheese tree. Both dogs developed clinical abnormalities consistent with ALF, including hepatic encephalopathy, marked increase in alanine aminotransferase activity and bilirubin concentration, and prolonged coagulation times. Treatment included administration of intravenous fluids, hepatoprotectants, vitamin K, antibiotics, lactulose, antacids, antiemetics, and multiple fresh frozen plasma transfusions. Follow-up examinations performed 30 days after initial presentation revealed the dogs to be clinically healthy with serum biochemical and coagulation profiles within reference intervals. NEW OR UNIQUE INFORMATION: This is the first report describing ALF in two dogs following ingestion of cheese tree (G. ferdinandi) roots. In this clinical setting, despite a poor prognosis, survival and recovery of adequate liver function were possible with medical management.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30507024/