Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog developed severe breathing trouble after intravenous lipid
By Heike Botha et al.·Published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science·2019·ECC Resident at The Veterinary Specialty Hospital, San Diego, CA, United States, CH·View original on DOAJ →
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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Suspected Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Associated With the Use of Intravenous Lipid Emulsion Therapy in a Dog: A Case Report
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 12-year-old male neutered Bichon Frise was brought to the emergency vet after eating chocolate that contained THC, which caused him to become very lethargic and have a slow heart rate. He received supportive care, including IV fluids, but his condition worsened, leading to a coma and breathing difficulties. To help eliminate the toxin, the vet started intravenous lipid emulsion therapy, but unfortunately, the dog developed severe respiratory distress five hours later and had to be euthanized. A post-mortem exam showed that he had severe fluid buildup in his lungs, indicating acute respiratory distress syndrome, a serious complication linked to this treatment.
People also search for: dog chocolate poisoning treatment · Bichon Frise lethargy · IV lipid emulsion side effects in dogs
Abstract
A 12-year-old male neutered Bichon Frise presented to the Emergency Department for stupor and bradycardia after ingestion of chocolate covered 450 mg (90 mg/kg) tetrahydrocannabinol. The patient was hospitalized for supportive care, IV fluid therapy and monitoring in the intensive care unit. During hospitalization the patient became comatose and bradypneic. Treatment with intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE) therapy was instituted to accelerate toxin elimination, reduce the risk of complications related to progressive obtundation and shorten hospitalization time. Five hours after infusion, the patient developed severe respiratory distress and was ultimately euthanized. Post-mortem histologic evaluation of lung revealed severe pulmonary edema consistent with acute respiratory distress syndrome. There are infrequent reports of adverse effects associated with ILE therapy for toxicosis in veterinary medicine despite reports of complications such as acute respiratory distress syndrome in human literature. The purpose of this report is to describe the potential for a severe adverse event after treatment of a toxicosis with ILE therapy.
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 DOAJ: https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2019.00225