Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cyanide toxicity secondary to apricot (Prunus armeniaca) kernel meal ingestion in a canine.
- Journal:
- Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology
- Year:
- 2024
- Authors:
- Houlton, Emma et al.
- Affiliation:
- the hospital where the dog in the case report presented · United States
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 9.5-year-old female spayed Golden Retriever became very sick after eating apricot kernel meal, which contains cyanide, a dangerous poison. She showed signs of vomiting and collapsed, and tests revealed serious metabolic issues linked to cyanide poisoning. Despite receiving treatment to stabilize her and an antidote, her condition continued to worsen, and she sadly went into cardiac arrest during attempts to remove the poison from her stomach. Unfortunately, she did not survive despite efforts to revive her.
Abstract
Cyanide is one of the most rapidly acting, lethal poisons in human and veterinary medicine. This case report discusses a novel case of cyanide toxicity from apricot (Prunus armeniaca) kernel ingestion in a canine and alternative treatment modalities. A 9.5-year-old female spayed Golden Retriever presented for vomiting and collapse after ingestion of apricot kernel meal. Laboratory findings, including a high anion gap metabolic acidosis with severe hyperlactatemia, clinical signs, and known ingestion of apricot kernels, were suggestive of cyanide toxicity. The dog was treated with crystalloid and synthetic colloids for stabilization and antidote therapy with hydroxocobalamin. The dog's metabolic acidosis and hyperlactemia worsened despite antidote therapy, and the dog progressed to CPA during gastric decontamination efforts. The dog did not respond to CPR efforts. This report will review the mechanism of cyanide toxicity, treatment options, and considerations for future cases.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38802050/