'Tis the Season for Antifreeze…And Its Toxicities!
VETTALK Volume 15, Number 02 American College of Veterinary Pharmacists ‘Tis the Season for Antifreeze…and its Toxicities! Introduction outcomes. As with ethanol and methanol, resembles ethanol (alcohol) intoxication. Antifreeze is known to most as the EG is also metabolized by ADH to form Dogs and cats exhibit vomiting due to GI neon green liquid that goes into our cars glycoaldehyde which is then oxidized to irritation, polydipsia, polyuria, and neu- to lower the freezing point and prevent glycolate, glyoxalate, and oxalate. Gly- rologic signs such as CNS depression, our radiators from locking up in cold colate and oxalate are responsible for stupor, ataxia, knuckling, decreased with- weather. However, to veterinarians and metabolic acidosis and renal damage. drawal or righting reflexes. Polydipsia veterinary pharmacists, it is ethylene gly- This is because ethylene glycol metabo- occurs due to osmotic stimulation of the col, a source of tens of thousands of ani- lites target the kidney and lead to oliguric thirst center, and polyuria occurs due to mal poisonings each year, the majority of or anuric acute renal injury, which in turn an osmotic diuresis. As CNS depression which occur in late fall, winter, and early slows elimination of ethylene glycol mak- increases in severity, dogs and cats drink spring which is why the timing appeared ing toxicity worst. The process of renal less, however the osmotic diuresis contin- suitable for this newsletter. The other failure is primarily due to glycolate- ues and results in severe dehydration. reason for publishing this article now is induced direct damage to tubules, al- Dogs may appear to transiently recover that the antidote for antifreeze poisoning, though tubule obstruction from precipi- from these CNS signs approximately 12 Antizol-Vet®(fomepizole), is on indefi- tated oxalate crystals may contribute as hours after ingestion.
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