Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Labrador weakness and confusion from sulfonamide thyroid crisis
By Brenner, K et al.·Published in Australian veterinary journal·2009·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Iatrogenic, sulfonamide-induced hypothyroid crisis in a Labrador Retriever.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 4-year-old female Labrador Retriever became weak, uncoordinated, and depressed after being treated with a high dose of a common antibiotic for 10 days. The vet found that these symptoms were due to a sudden drop in thyroid hormone levels caused by the medication. To treat this, the dog was given levothyroxine, a thyroid hormone replacement, which completely resolved her symptoms. This case emphasizes the importance of monitoring for thyroid issues when using certain antibiotics in dogs.
People also search for: Labrador Retriever weakness after medication · dog depression from antibiotics · hypothyroidism treatment in dogs
Abstract
This case report describes a sulfonamide-induced hypothyroid crisis in a 4-year-old Labrador Retriever bitch. Empirical therapy with high-dose trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for 10 days produced signs of weakness, ataxia and mental depression and the clinicopathological results supported hypothyroid-induced central nervous system depression. Short-term levothyroxine sodium therapy led to complete resolution of all clinical signs and follow-up thyroid hormone assays ruled out underlying thyroid pathology. This case report is the first to highlight this potentially life-threatening manifestation of sulfonamide-induced hypothyroidism. Sulfonamide combinations are widely used antimicrobials in veterinary medicine and early recognition of this syndrome is critical.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19930169/