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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Dog developed severe breathing trouble after intravenous lipid

By H. Botha et al.·Published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science·2019·View original on Semantic Scholar

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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 made him very sleepy and caused a slow heart rate. He was hospitalized for supportive care and received intravenous fluids. Unfortunately, during treatment, he became comatose and developed serious breathing problems after receiving intravenous lipid emulsion therapy, which is sometimes used to help eliminate toxins. Despite efforts to save him, he was euthanized due to severe lung swelling, a condition known as acute respiratory distress syndrome. This case highlights the potential risks associated with this treatment in dogs.

People also search for: dog chocolate poisoning treatment · Bichon Frise breathing problems · intravenous 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.

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Original publication on Semantic Scholar: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/31338370