ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether administration of antiemetic medication to dogs and cats with gastrointestinal foreign body obstruction (GIFBO) delays time to definitive care (surgery or endoscopy) and increases the risk of complications. DESIGN: Retrospective study (January 2012-July 2020). SETTING: Private referral center. ANIMALS: Five hundred and thirty-seven (440 dogs and 97 cats). INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Medical records of dogs and cats with GIFBO were reviewed for antiemetic administration at the onset of clinical signs, time from onset of clinical signs to first intervention and definitive care, GIFBO-related complications, and length of hospitalization. Antiemetics were prescribed for 200 of 537 patients (158 dogs, 42 cats). Antiemetic administration was associated with an increased time between the onset of clinical signs and definitive care (3.2 days [95% confidence interval, CI, 2.8-3.5] vs. 1.6 days [95% CI, 1.4-2.0]; P < 0.001) but not with GIFBO-associated complications (P = 0.45). Antiemetic administration was associated with an increased length of hospitalization (1.6 days [95% CI, 1.4-1.7] vs. 1.1 days [95% CI, 1.1-1.2]; P < 0.001). A longer duration of clinical signs prior to intervention was associated with GIFBO-related complications (P < 0.001) regardless of antiemetic administration. CONCLUSIONS: Antiemetic administration in patients with GIFBO was associated with increased time to definitive care and length of hospitalization but not GIFBO-associated complications. Antiemetics are not inherently contraindicated in patients for whom GIFBO is a differential, but clients should be counseled to monitor for progression of clinical signs and follow-up accordingly.
Subject(s)
Antiemetics , Cat Diseases , Dog Diseases , Foreign Bodies , Humans , Cats , Dogs , Animals , Antiemetics/therapeutic use , Retrospective Studies , Cat Diseases/etiology , Dog Diseases/chemically induced , Dog Diseases/drug therapy , Foreign Bodies/complications , Foreign Bodies/veterinary , Foreign Bodies/drug therapyABSTRACT
Key Clinical Message: Thyroid storm is a rare, life-threatening endocrine emergency that may occur in dogs. With rapid identification and early aggressive therapy, long-term survival is possible. Abstract: The aim of this paper was to describe the successful emergency management and long-term survival of a dog with probable thyroid storm. We present proposed guidelines for the characterization of thyroid storm in dogs, and treatment considerations as utilized for this patient. A 6-year-old female spayed German Shepherd Dog was presented to a multispecialty center for radiation planning and treatment of a previously diagnosed nonresectable functional thyroid carcinoma. Recovering from anesthesia, the patient developed clinical features that would qualify as thyroid storm using human metrics. The patient improved with aggressive treatment of thyroid storm, extrapolating from human and feline recommendations. This is the first known report of long-term survival in a canine with suspected thyroid storm. The crisis was effectively identified and emergently treated.
