Dog given liquid food by mistake into vein after surgery and recovered

Abstract

An 11-year-old spayed female terrier mix dog weighing 6.38 kg was presented to the emergency department of a large specialty hospital for hyporexia and lethargy. The dog was diagnosed with a perforated duodenal mass. On exploratory laparotomy, a perforated mass along the duodenal flexure was identified, an intestinal resection and anastomosis was performed, and a nasogastric tube was placed. Two days after surgery, the dog erroneously received 16 mL of a commercially formulated liquid diet through a triple-lumen jugular catheter. When the medical error was detected, 4 mL of diet and blood was aspirated from the jugular catheter. The catheter tip and a sample of the diet were submitted for culture. Culture results of the catheter revealed no growth, but the food grew methicillin-resistant staphylococcus. At 5 d following the inadvertent administration, the dog was discharged on clindamycin 11 mg/kg, q12h and cefpodoxime 7.5 mg/kg, PO, q12h for 10 d. Histopathology of small intestinal mass was consistent with large cell lymphoma. The dog was re-evaluated 2 wk following surgery and was doing well. Key clinical message: Inadvertent intravenous administration of enteral feed is a serious medical error; however, this case report serves to describe a successful outcome.