Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Boxer dog died after eating toxic holiday tinsel garland
By Bischoff, Karyn et al.·Published in Journal of medical toxicology : official journal of the American College of Medical Toxicology·2017·New York State Animal Health Diagnostic Center, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Zinc Toxicosis in a Boxer Dog Secondary to Ingestion of Holiday Garland.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A mature Boxer dog was brought to the vet after experiencing vomiting and diarrhea for four days. The dog had ingested holiday tinsel garland, which contained zinc, leading to serious health issues. Despite surgery to remove the foreign material, the dog's condition worsened, resulting in severe complications and ultimately death. Zinc poisoning can be treated effectively if caught early, but in this case, the unusual source of zinc delayed diagnosis and treatment.
People also search for: Boxer dog vomiting and diarrhea · holiday garland zinc poisoning · dog surgery complications · zinc toxicosis in dogs
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Increased admissions occur in small animal veterinary emergency clinics during some holidays, and some of the increased caseload is due to ingestion of toxic substances. This report documents zinc toxicosis contributing to the death of a dog after ingestion of holiday tinsel garland. CASE STUDY: A mature boxer dog presented with a 4-day history of vomiting and diarrhea. Radiodense foreign material was detected in the stomach and removed via gastrotomy. The patient clinically worsened over the next several days with evidence of hemolytic anemia, severe hypernatremia, and an elevated WBC count with a suspected dehiscence of the surgical site and acute renal failure. The serum zinc concentration was moderately elevated. Postmortem findings included surgical dehiscence from the gastrotomy and enterotomy sites, hepatic extramedullary hematopoiesis, hemoglobinuric nephrosis, and pancreatic fibrosis. The foreign material removed from the stomach also contained zinc. DISCUSSION: Ingestion of holiday tinsel garland made from metal-coated plastic film has not previously been implicated in zinc toxicosis. Zinc toxicosis has a good prognosis in veterinary medicine when diagnosed and treated promptly, but the unique source of zinc in this dog contributed to the delay in diagnosis and grave outcome in this case.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28224456/