Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How acepromazine and thiopental cause spleen swelling in dogs
By O'Brien, Robert T et al.·Published in Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association·2004·Department of Surgical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Sonographic features of drug-induced splenic congestion.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that dogs given the sedative acepromazine or the anesthetic thiopental experienced noticeable swelling of the spleen shortly after treatment. This swelling, known as splenic congestion, was not observed in dogs treated with propofol. The researchers used ultrasound to measure the spleen's size before and after administering these drugs, confirming that acepromazine and thiopental can lead to significant enlargement. Understanding these effects can help veterinarians monitor and manage potential side effects in dogs receiving these medications.
People also search for: dog spleen swelling after acepromazine · dog sedative side effects · thiopental effects on dog spleen
Abstract
Drug-induced splenic congestion has been reported in dogs secondary to barbiturate administration. This research attempted to verify and quantify size changes associated with drug-induced splenic congestion in dogs. Transverse plane ultrasound images of the spleen in normal dogs were collected to determine the maximum diameter in the minimum dimension prior to, and 15 min after, administration of acepromazine, thiopental, or propofol. Significant splenic enlargement was seen after administration of acepromazine (P<0.01) and thiopental (P=0.02), but no enlargement was seen after administration of propofol. Significantly increased attenuation (P<0.01) and a trend of increased backscatter (P=0.09) were measured after administration of acepromazine. These results indicate that measurable splenomegaly occurs after acepromazine and thiopental administration. This represents the first report of a condition causing measurable diffuse increased attenuation in the spleen. Propofol does not cause measurable splenic enlargement under the conditions of this research.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15200260/