Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with zinc poisoning from pennies and severe anemia
By Luttgen, P J et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·1990·Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Heinz body hemolytic anemia associated with high plasma zinc concentration in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old mixed-breed dog was brought in after eating pennies and showed signs of severe anemia, with a low red blood cell count and high white blood cell count. The dog also had kidney issues and other concerning lab results. Despite aggressive treatment, the dog's condition worsened, leading to kidney failure and ultimately cardiac arrest. This case highlights the dangers of zinc poisoning from ingesting items like pennies, which can cause serious health problems in dogs.
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Abstract
Acute zinc toxicosis from the ingestion of pennies was diagnosed in a dog with Heinz body hemolytic anemia (PCV = 14%), leukocytosis (51,000 cells/ml) with a left shift (3,060 band neutrophils; 37,740 segmented neutrophils) and monocytosis (4,080 cells/ml), azotemia (BUN = 60 mg/dl), bilirubinemia (total bilirubin = 5.3 mg/dl), hypokalemia (3.0 mEq/L), high serum alkaline phosphatase activity (691 U/L), high total plasma solids (8.1 g/dl), hemoglobinuria, and proteinuria. Despite aggressive medical treatment, renal failure ensued, and the dog died of cardiac arrest. The clinical signs, clinical course, and laboratory findings in this dog were similar to what has been reported in other cases of acute zinc toxicosis in dogs, with the exception of a history of generalized seizures and the findings of Heinz bodies. Although a causative relationship between plasma zinc values and Heinz body formation cannot be proven, their association suggests that oxidative damage to erythrocyte hemoglobin and cell membrane proteins may be involved in the pathogenesis of zinc-induced hemolysis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2266050/