Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with kidney failure after swallowing zinc-containing metal object
By Volmer, Petra A et al.·Published in Veterinary and human toxicology·2004·College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Anuric renal failure associated with zinc toxicosis in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 3-year-old male neutered Welsh Corgi was brought to the vet after showing signs of vomiting, not eating, and being unusually tired for two weeks. It turned out he had swallowed a brass knob from a toilet paper holder, which caused severe zinc poisoning and led to kidney failure. Despite surgery to remove the knob, the dog was euthanized the next day due to the serious damage caused by the zinc. This case highlights the dangers of dogs ingesting metal objects, as it can lead to life-threatening conditions.
People also search for: dog vomiting and lethargy · Welsh Corgi zinc poisoning · dog kidney failure treatment
Abstract
The development of anuric renal failure associated with zinc intoxication was detected in a dog following ingestion of an ornamental brass knob from a toilet paper holder. The 3-y-old, male neutered, 15.4 kg Welsh Corgi presented to a local veterinary clinic with a 2-w history of intermittent vomiting, inappetance and lethargy. The dog was transferred to a veterinary teaching hospital where surgery was performed to remove the foreign body. The dogwas euthanized 24 h post-surgery due to the development of anuric renal failure. Whole blood drawn at the time of surgery had a serum zinc concentration of 89.8 ppm (normal 0.7-2.0 ppm). The serum zinc concentration in this dog is the highest reported concentration in the literature. Ingestion of any zinc-containing metal object can potentially result in a severe intravascular hemolysis with subsequent renal impairment. Zinc intoxication should be suspected when hemolysis is accompanied by the finding of a metallic object in the gut.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15487654/