Safety and efficacy of 4-methylpyrazole for treatment of suspected or confirmed ethylene glycol intoxication in dogs: 107 cases (1983-1995).

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate safety and efficacy of 4-methylpyrazole (4-MP) treatment in dogs and to determine clinical signs and outcome of, and clinicopathologic abnormalities in, dogs treated in early or late stages of ethylene glycol (EG) intoxication. DESIGN: Retrospective study. ANIMALS: 107 dogs. PROCEDURE: For dogs treated with 4-MP, 1 of 2 dosage regimens was usually used: 20 mg/kg of body weight, IV, initially, 15 mg/kg 17 hours later, and 5 mg/kg 25 and 36 hours after the initial dose, or 20 mg/kg, IV, initially, 15 mg/kg 12 and 24 hours later, and 5 mg/kg 36 hours after the initial dose. RESULTS: Neither adverse clinical signs nor clinicopathologic abnormalities were associated with the administration of 4-MP except in 1 dog, which developed tachypnea, gagging, excess salivation, and trembling after the second dose of 4-MP was given. Ethylene glycol intoxication was confirmed in 37 dogs. Of these, 21 were azotemic or became azotemic within 18 hours after admission, and only 1 of the 21 survived. All 16 dogs that did not become azotemic survived. Median time from EG ingestion to treatment with 4-MP was 5 hours (range, 2 to 8.5 hours) for dogs that were not azotemic at admission and 14.5 hours (range, 8.5 to 38 hours) for dogs that were azotemic at admission. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: 4-MP was a safe and effective treatment for EG intoxication when it was given before sufficient quantities of EG had been metabolized to induce renal failure. Dogs treated within 8 hours of EG ingestion had a good prognosis.

Chronic flunixin meglumine therapy in foals.

Effects of a therapeutic dose of flunixin meglumine on gastric mucosa of horse foals were determined by endoscopy, double-contrast radiography, and gross and histologic examinations. Foals were administered 1.1 mg of flunixin meglumine/kg of body weight, PO/day for 30 days in an encapsulated form that was divided into 2 doses/day (group 1; n = 3) or by IM injection once a day (group 2; n = 7). Three control foals (group 3; n = 3) were administered capsules (n = 1) containing dextrose powder or IM injections (n = 2) of vehicle solution without flunixin meglumine. All 3 groups-1 foals given flunixin meglumine PO developed oral ulcers. Group-2 foals given flunixin meglumine IM did not develop oral ulcers. One control foal (group 3) developed 1 oral ulcer that healed during the study. Endoscopic examination revealed linear crease-like mucosal lesions in the glandular portion of the stomach in 2 group-2 foals. Radiographic evidence of gastric ulcers was observed in only 1 gastrogram of a group-1 foal. Foals were euthanatized, and necropsy revealed erosions and/or ulcers of the glandular portion of the stomach. Oral ulcers were observed in all 3 group-1 foals. Erosions of the glandular portion of the stomach developed in all 10 foals given flunixin meglumine, but did not develop in group-3 foals. Ulceration of the glandular portion of the stomach was present in 1 group-2 foal.

The use of veterinary clinics for the education of pharmacy students.

The pharmacies of rural communities often include veterinary products; however, many pharmacists have little knowledge about animal diseases and the pharmacokinetics of drugs in animals. The Colorado State University at Fort Collins has developed an elective one-week rotation for pharmacy students through the University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. The four objectives of the program are: (1) to observe the various aspects of veterinary medicine and its use in different animal species; (2) to work with the student of veterinary medicine to plan and evaluate a drug therapy course; (3) to understand species variance in absorption, metabolism, and elimination of drugs; and (4) to plan and evaluate a course of therapy for an assigned animal, using the Problem Oriented Medical Record (POMR) format.