Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cats treated with intravenous lipids after ivermectin overdose
By Jourdan, Geraldine et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary emergency and critical care (San Antonio, Tex. : 2001)·2015·Toulouse National Veterinary School, France·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Intravenous lipid emulsion therapy in 20 cats accidentally overdosed with ivermectin.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Twenty cats accidentally received an overdose of ivermectin, a medication that can be toxic in high amounts. After being treated with intravenous lipid emulsion (IVLE), some cats showed signs of toxicity, including lethargy and other symptoms. Those that received a single IVLE dose were more likely to develop severe symptoms compared to those who had a bolus followed by a continuous infusion. Cats with lower body condition scores experienced more severe effects and required more treatment to recover. Overall, early and continuous IVLE treatment helped many of the cats recover from the overdose.
People also search for: cat ivermectin overdose treatment · symptoms of ivermectin toxicity in cats · intravenous lipid emulsion for cats
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the outcome of 20 cats treated with intravenous lipid emulsion (IVLE) after an accidental parenteral ivermectin overdose. CASE SERIES SUMMARY: Twenty adult cats presented after receiving a 4 mg/kg accidental subcutaneous overdose of ivermectin. After admission, two IVLE treatments were initiated in asymptomatic cats: a single bolus (1.5 mL/kg; n = 16) versus a bolus followed by a 30-minute constant rate infusion (0.25 mL/kg/min; n = 4). Six out of the 16 cats that received only the single bolus developed clinical signs of ivermectin intoxication. Based on the severity of the clinical signs and their duration (approximately 48 hours), these 6 cats were retrospectively considered either moderately (n = 3) or severely (n = 3) intoxicated by ivermectin. Cats with a low body condition score (BCS) had more severe signs of ivermectin toxicity. Additional IVLE was administered until clinical resolution was complete. Median (min to max) cumulative dose of IVLE per cat was 4.5 (3.0-4.5) mL/kg for 36 (12-36) hours and 19.5 (7.5-37.5) mL/kg for 96 (72-168) hours for moderately and severely intoxicated cats, respectively. NEW OR UNIQUE INFORMATION PROVIDED: Our series describes the treatment of accidental ivermectin parenteral overdose in 20 cats with early initiation of IVLE therapy. An early bolus followed by a 30-minute constant rate infusion of IVLE appeared to mitigate the signs of ivermectin toxicosis in cats compared to a single treatment bolus. Our observations also suggest that cats with a low BCS given only a bolus of IVLE treatment were more likely to develop signs of ivermectin intoxication and require a greater amount of IVLE for the resolution of clinical signs. Based on our observations, BCS appears to influence the severity of ivermectin toxicity with a low BCS being associated with more severe signs of ivermectin toxicity.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26397735/