Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with oleander poisoning showing low blood sugar and heart issues
By Page, C & Murtaugh, R J·Published in Journal of medical toxicology : official journal of the American College of Medical Toxicology·2015·Department of Internal Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Hypoglycemia associated with oleander toxicity in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old female spayed Maltese was brought to the emergency vet after eating oleander leaves, which are toxic to dogs. She showed symptoms like vomiting, heart rhythm issues, and low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). After confirming the poisoning through tests, the vet provided aggressive supportive care, which helped her recover. She was discharged after 48 hours and is now doing well. This case highlights the dangers of oleander and its unexpected effect on blood sugar levels in dogs.
People also search for: dog oleander poisoning symptoms · Maltese vomiting and low blood sugar · treatment for dog heart arrhythmia
Abstract
Oleander poisoning typically results in cardiac arrhythmias, hyperkalemia, and gastrointestinal irritation, and can be fatal. Oleander extracts have also been studied experimentally as hypoglycemic agents. Here, we describe a dog with confirmed oleander toxicosis presenting with classical symptoms and also hypoglycemia. After excluding other likely causes of hypoglycemia, the finding was attributed to oleander toxicosis, which has not been previously reported in dogs. A 7-year-old female spayed Maltese was presented to the emergency service after ingesting oleander leaves. Toxicosis was confirmed by measurement of digoxin using a competitive binding immunoassay, patient level 0.7 ng/mL (0.9 nmol/L) 24-h post-ingestion. Clinical symptoms included vomiting, cardiac arrhythmia, mild hyperkalemia, and hypoglycemia. Treatment was successful with aggressive supportive care, and the dog was discharged from the hospital after 48 h and made a full recovery. This case reviews the presentation and treatment of oleander toxicity but also highlights possible effects of oleander on blood sugar in dogs. Hypoglycemia in this dog, attributed to oleander poisoning, is interesting as it supports experimental research into hypoglycemic properties of oleander extracts.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25252802/