Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog in New Zealand with tremors after eating mouldy walnuts
By Munday, J S et al.·Published in New Zealand veterinary journal·2008·Institute of Veterinary·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Presumptive tremorgenic mycotoxicosis in a dog in New Zealand, after eating mouldy walnuts.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 1-year-old Labrador-cross dog started vomiting and then developed muscle tremors after eating moldy walnuts that had been on the ground for five months. The dog also showed signs of unsteady movements, excessive drooling, and sensitivity to touch. After inducing vomiting to remove the walnuts, the vet diagnosed the dog with tremorgenic mycotoxicosis, a poisoning caused by toxins from moldy food. Fortunately, the dog received supportive treatment and made a full recovery within 18 hours.
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Abstract
CASE HISTORY: A 1-year-old, intact male Labrador-cross dog vomited after eating walnuts that had been on the ground for 5 months. The dog then developed tremors, ataxia, increased salivation, and hyperaesthesia. CLINICAL FINDINGS: The dog had marked generalised tremors, ataxia and a temperature of 39.9 degrees C. Both pupils were of normal size and normally responsive to light. Vomiting was induced, and walnut shell was visible in the vomitus. DIAGNOSIS: Due to the sudden onset of tremors, lack of exposure to other convulsive toxins, and the evidence of ingestion of walnuts, the provisional diagnosis was tremorgenic mycotoxicosis. The dog was treated symptomatically, and made a full recovery over 18 hours. Tremorgenic mycotoxins were detected within walnuts collected from the dog's environment. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Fungi that produce tremorgenic mycotoxins are present in New Zealand. Intoxication should be suspected in dogs that suddenly develop muscle tremors, especially if there is a history of ingestion of mouldy food 2-3 hours prior to the development of tremors.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18536774/