Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog recovers after 27 days trapped and starving
By Khoo, Alison Wui Sing et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary emergency and critical care (San Antonio, Tex. : 2001)·2019·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Canada·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Successful management and recovery following severe prolonged starvation in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old male Labrador Retriever was brought in after being trapped in a well for 27 days, leading to severe starvation and a loss of nearly half his body weight. He showed signs of profound weakness and needed intensive care, including intravenous fluids to correct his electrolyte levels during the refeeding process. Over the next few weeks, his health improved significantly as his electrolyte levels stabilized, wounds healed, and he regained strength. After three months of treatment, he returned to a normal body condition and muscle mass.
People also search for: dog weakness after starvation · Labrador Retriever recovery from starvation · refeeding syndrome in dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the successful management of a dog following a period of prolonged food deprivation. CASE SUMMARY: A 7-year-old, intact male Labrador Retriever presented with profound weakness and loss of nearly 50% of his body weight due to severe prolonged starvation after being trapped in a well for 27 days. Electrolyte concentrations were managed with intensive intravenous supplementation during refeeding. The dog's electrolyte abnormalities resolved, wounds healed, and strength returned during the first 3 weeks of treatment. During the next 3 months, body condition score normalized and muscle mass improved. NEW OR UNIQUE INFORMATION PROVIDED: This report describes the management of a severely malnourished dog during refeeding, and highlights treatment considerations that may be important in the prevention of refeeding syndrome in such cases.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31448525/