Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Signs and testing for microcystin poisoning in dogs
By Foss, Amanda J et al.·Published in Toxins·2019·GreenWater Laboratories, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Diagnosing Microcystin Intoxication of Canines: Clinicopathological Indications, Pathological Characteristics, and Analytical Detection in Postmortem and Antemortem Samples.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
In the summer of 2018, six dogs in Florida became seriously ill after being exposed to a toxic algal bloom, showing symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, and severe bleeding issues. Most of the dogs received supportive care and recovered, but one unfortunately did not survive. Tests confirmed they had microcystin poisoning, which was identified through blood and urine samples, as well as vomit analysis. The surviving dogs showed high levels of toxins even weeks after exposure, highlighting the importance of early diagnosis and treatment for pets affected by harmful algae.
People also search for: dog vomiting diarrhea algal bloom · microcystin poisoning in dogs · dog liver damage treatment
Abstract
In the summer of 2018, six dogs exposed to a harmful algal bloom (HAB) ofin Martin County Florida (USA) developed clinicopathological signs of microcystin (MC) intoxication (i.e., acute vomiting, diarrhea, severe thrombocytopenia, elevated alanine aminotransferase, hemorrhage). Successful supportive veterinary care was provided and led to survival of all but one patient. Confirmation of MC intoxication was made through interpretation of clinicopathological abnormalities, pathological examination of tissues, microscopy (vomitus), and analytical MC testing of antemortem/postmortem samples (vomitus, blood, urine, bile, liver, kidney, hair). Gross and microscopic examination of the deceased patient confirmed massive hepatic necrosis, mild multifocal renal tubular necrosis, and hemorrhage within multiple organ systems. Microscopy of a vomitus sample confirmed the presence of. Three analytical MC testing approaches were used, including the MMPB (2-methyl-3-methoxy-4-phenylbutyric acid) technique, targeted congener analysis (e.g., liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry of MC-LR), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Total Adda MCs (as MMPB) were confirmed in the liver, bile, kidney, urine, and blood of the deceased dog. Urinalysis (MMPB) of one surviving dog showed a high level of MCs (32,000 ng mL) 1-day post exposure, with MCs detectable >2 months post exposure. Furthermore, hair from a surviving dog was positive for MMPB, illustrating another testable route of MC elimination in canines. The described cases represent the first use of urine as an antemortem, non-invasive specimen to diagnose microcystin toxicosis. Antemortem diagnostic testing to confirm MC intoxication cases, whether acute or chronic, is crucial for providing optimal supportive care and mitigating MC exposure.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31382600/