Veterinary Medicine - January 2008 - (Page 13)

Toxicology Brief managing common poisonings in companion animals PEER-RE VIE WED Sodium hypochlorite bleach ingestion in two dogs Seth Chapman, DVM; Jennifer Pittman, DVM; Mary Nabity, DVM, DACVP; and Mark Johnson, DVM, DACVP T ypically, sodium hypochlorite bleach ingestion causes caustic gastrointestinal tract injury in animals and people. In people, severe clinical illness and death are rare.1,2 To date, there have been no published case reports regarding sodium hypochlorite bleach ingestion in animals. In this case report, two dogs ingested an unknown volume of Clorox Regular-Bleach (The Clorox Company) containing 6.15% sodium hypochlorite and subsequently developed marked hypernatremia and hyperchloremia as well as numerous other biochemical abnormalities. Ultimately, the dogs were euthanized because of the severity of their clinical signs from the toxicosis. TABLE 1 Selected Complete Blood Count Results Parameter Female Dog RBC X 106/µl 8 Hemoglobin (g/dl) 17 Hematocrit (calculated) (%)** 59 Hematocrit (spun) (%) 50 MCV (ﬂ) 74 MCHC (g/dl) 28.6 Male Dog Reference Interval* 7.07 5.5–8.5 17 10–20 56 31–56 53 31–56 79.1 60–77 30.5 32–36 *Reference interval values from CELL-DYN 3700, Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, Ill. **Calculated HCT% = [(MCV ﬂ) X (RBC/µl)]/10. CASE HISTORY A 13-year-old 35.2-lb (16-kg) spayed female Shar-Pei and a 5-year-old 39.6-lb (18-kg) castrated male mixed-breed dog were presented to the Texas Veterinary Medical Center at Texas A&M University for evaluation of an acute onset of vomiting, diarrhea, and ataxia. The dogs had been housed in a kitchen and laundry area for about six hours before the “Toxicology Brief” was contributed by Seth Chapman, DVM; Jennifer Pittman, DVM; Mary Nabity, DVM, DACVP; and Mark Johnson, DVM, DACVP, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. Dr. Pittman’s current address is Veterinary Teaching Hospital, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602. The department editor is Petra Volmer, DVM, MS, DABVT, DABT. owner returned home and found both dogs in distress. Multiple areas of vomit and diarrhea and copious amounts of clear ﬂuid were found on the ﬂoor along with a severely chewed and punctured empty bleach bottle near the dogs. The owner transported the dogs to the Texas Veterinary Medical Center shortly after she discovered the situation. The owner reported that she frequently used empty plastic milk jugs as toys for the dogs, and they likely had mistaken the bleach bottle for a toy. The owner estimated that the 2.83-L bottle of bleach had been about 75% (2.12 L) full before being damaged. The owner stated that there was no evidence that the animals had been exposed to any other potentially toxic material. Clinical and laboratory ﬁndings On presentation, both dogs were poorly responsive and hypothermic (94 F [34.4 C]). The female dog was laterally recum- bent, and the male dog was markedly ataxic. Both dogs vomited clear-yellow, foamy ﬂuid during their physical examinations, and their skin and coats were damp and smelled of urine and bleach. The female was also salivating excessively and had a green, mucoid nasal discharge. Both dogs had a respiratory rate of 16 to 20 breaths/min with shallow, labored breathing. The male dog had a heart rate of 150 beats/min with tacky mucous membranes and a slightly prolonged capillary reﬁll time. The female dog had a heart rate of 100 beats/min with a normal capillary reﬁll time. No obvious oral lesions were observed. Venous blood samples were obtained for a complete blood count (CBC) and a serum chemistry proﬁle in both dogs and a coagulation proﬁle in the female dog. The CBC results revealed an elevated calculated hematocrit in the female and a high normal calculated hematocrit in the male (Table 1). There was a moder- VETERINARY MEDICINE January 2008 13

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Veterinary Medicine - January 2008

Veterinary Medicine - January 2008 Contents Digital Extra Letters Toxicology Brief Idea Exchange A Challenging Case: Phimosis in a Young Adult Dog The Indications and Technique for Continuous Ambulatory Electrocardiographic Recording in Dogs A Review of Selected Systemic Antifungal Drugs for Use in Dogs and Cats CE Form Advertiser Index Marketplace/Classifieds Mind Over Miller

Veterinary Medicine - January 2008

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