Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with seizures from 5-fluorouracil poisoning treated successfully
By Friedenberg, Steven G et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary emergency and critical care (San Antonio, Tex. : 2001)·2013·Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Successful treatment of a dog with massive 5-fluorouracil toxicosis.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 1-year-old male German Shepherd ingested a large amount of a cancer treatment cream containing 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), which caused severe seizures. The dog was treated at an emergency veterinary clinic, where veterinarians used heavy sedation and mechanical ventilation for two days to manage the seizures. After administering a medication called levetiracetam, the seizures were finally controlled. Remarkably, the dog was discharged after six days and has been seizure-free and neurologically normal for nine months since the incident.
People also search for: dog seizures after eating cream · 5-fluorouracil poisoning treatment · German Shepherd seizure recovery
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical presentation and successful treatment of a dog that ingested a lethal dose (approximately 330 mg/kg) of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). CASE SUMMARY: A 1-year-old male intact German Shepherd dog was presented to the Emergency Service of the Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center after ingesting 10 g of 5% 5-FU cream. The dog rapidly developed refractory seizures and was managed by inducing heavy sedation with phenobarbital, benzodiazepines, ketamine, and propofol, necessitating 48 hours of mechanical ventilation. Seizure activity continued despite these treatments until IV administration of levetiracetam. The dog was discharged from the hospital 6 days after admission and remains neurologically normal currently, with no further seizure activity after 9 months. NEW INFORMATION PROVIDED: This report documents the first successful treatment of a dog that ingested > 43 mg/kg of 5-FU. In this case, the use of rapid decontamination, heavy sedation with anticonvulsant medications including levetiracetam to control seizures, and mechanical ventilation may have contributed to a positive outcome.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24251625/