Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with severe phenobarbital poisoning had low blood cells that
By Khoutorsky, A & Bruchim, Y·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2008·School of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Transient leucopenia, thrombocytopenia and anaemia associated with severe acute phenobarbital intoxication in a dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 9-year-old Labrador retriever was brought to the emergency vet after suddenly developing tremors and falling into a coma. The dog had eaten a large amount of phenobarbital, a medication that can be toxic in high doses. After a few days, the dog showed low white blood cells, low platelets, and mild anemia, but these issues improved as the phenobarbital levels in its system decreased. The dog was sent home after 13 days, still weak but able to walk, and made a full recovery eight days later.
People also search for: dog tremors after medication · phenobarbital poisoning in dogs · Labrador retriever recovery from intoxication
Abstract
A nine-year-old Labrador retriever dog was admitted to the emergency unit of the Hebrew University Veterinary Teaching Hospital with acute-onset tremors and coma. It had recently ingested a large quantity of phenobarbital and had a high serum phenobarbital concentration. On this basis, a diagnosis of acute phenobarbital intoxication was made. Significant leucopenia, thrombocytopenia and mild anaemia developed on the third day after admission. The leucopenia resolved on day 6 and the thrombocytopenia on day 13. The red blood cell count remained low for the next month. The dog was discharged on day 13 at which time it was ambulatory but weak. It was completely recovered clinically eight days later. In summary, high levels of serum phenobarbital as a result of acute intoxication induced pancytopenia, which improved when the serum phenobarbital level was normalised.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18482327/