I'm Laura, and I'm a pre-vet student at Skidmore College planning on majoring in Biochemistry and minoring in art history. Veterinary medicine has intrigued me since I was little but it wasn't until my Biology class in college where I saw myself pursuing medicine as a career. While I've thought about working in human medicine, I am an avid animal lover and enjoy the mystery and journey that veterinary medicine takes you through when you work on a patient who cannot talk or explain their symptoms to you. I am working as a vet tech this summer at three different hospitals and am hoping to shadow other veterinarians who have pursued other paths within veterinary medicine.

This blog incorporates the cases and patients I have seen this summer and what I have learned through the doctors and vet techs I've gotten the privilege to work with. My goal in this blog is to create discussion among people interested and curious about some of the normal, the interesting, and the peculiar aspects of veterinary medicine. So, let's get started

Monday, July 18, 2011

Ethylene Glycol Poisoning

A dog came in with anorexia and because he was extremely sensitive and painful on and around his abdomen.  During preliminary examination, not much was found, however we noticed that the dog had a sweet, almost maple syrupy smell to him.  The doctor worried of Ethylene Glycol Poisoning.

Ethylene Glycol is a major ingredient in film processing solution and antifreeze.  Because of its sweet smell and taste, dogs and cats are attracted to it.  Ingestion of even the littlest amount can be toxic.

When ethylene glycol enters the system, it is first absorbed through the GI tract.  Most of the ethylene glycol goes straight through the kidney's, unaffected in its attempt to cleanse the blood.  Once the ethylene glycol reaches the liver and kidneys, a series of oxidation reactions occur, which transforms the ethylene glycol into a metabolite called glyoxylic acid, which will acidify the blood.  These metabolites are extremely toxic to the central nervous system and can cause the extreme sensitivity the patient exhibited.  

Like any case of toxin ingestion, time is of the essence!  Because there is no way to reverse the damage that has been done on any of the organs, doctors focus on getting the toxin out of the body as quickly as possible.  If not taken care of immediately, the patient could suffer severe organ damage or die.

We first administered apomorphine to induce vomiting; if there is anymore ethylene glycol in the stomach, it is best if the dog gets it out of his system rather than begin to digest more of it.  Next, we hooked the dog to IV fluids to keep him hydrated and orally administered activated charcoal.  Activated charcoal binds to any toxin that could be left behind in the stomach and helps it to pass through the system.  

Oddly enough, the best treatment for ethylene glycol poisoning is alcohol- alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitor 4-Methylpyrazole to be exact.  4-MP inhibits the body's ability to metabolize the ethylene glycol and makes it easier for the kidneys to eliminate the glyoxylic acid. 

We were fortunate that we had caught on to the toxicity very early because there was barely any lasting internal damage. 
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