Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Puppy German pointer with tetraplegia from ethanol poisoning
By Lumeij, J T·Published in Tijdschrift voor diergeneeskunde·2009·Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Netherlands·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Ethanol poisoning as a differential diagnosis in a hunter's dog with tetraplegia.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 4.5-month-old German pointer was brought to the vet because it couldn't move its legs (tetraplegia). Initially, the vet thought it might have a nerve disorder, but later the owner mentioned the dog might have eaten sloe berries used to make sloe gin, leading to a diagnosis of ethanol poisoning. After treatment, the dog's ability to walk improved within 24 hours. Tests confirmed the dog had ingested a significant amount of alcohol from the berries.
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Abstract
A 4.5-month-old German pointer was presented with tetraplegia. Based on the physical examination, a tentative diagnosis of idiopathic polyneuropathy or synaptic disorder was made. Later that day additional information from the owner revealed that the dog might have ingested sloe berries that had been used to make sloe gin. Ethanol poisoning was added to the differential diagnosis. The dog's locomotion recovered in the course of 24 hours. Faecal analysis revealed that the animal had ingested at least 127 gin-saturated sloe berries and it was estimated that the blood ethanol concentration would have been at least 0.75 per thousand. The aetiology, diagnosis, and treatment of ethanol poisoning in dogs is reviewed.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20055025/