ABSTRACT
Background: Copper is an essential micronutrient for the body to function properly. However, although it is a vital element,an excess of copper in the body is extremely toxic. Copper toxicity has been reported mainly in sheep. In dogs, clinicopathological signs of toxicity are characterized by chronic liver failure. This means that the hemolytic crisis so commonin sheep is a condition rarely associated with toxicity in dogs, so there are very few descriptions of this condition in theveterinary literature. The purpose of this report is to describe a case of hemolytic crisis in a dog with copper-associatedchronic hepatitis.Case: A medium-sized 6-year-old bitch was brought to the Veterinary Hospital of the Federal University of Santa Maria,with clinical presentation of apathy, anorexia and red urine. A physical examination revealed mildly jaundiced mucosaand dark brown urine. A urinalysis indicated the presence of protein, bilirubin and occult blood. The blood count revealedhypochromic macrocytic anemia, leukocytosis due to left shift neutrophilia and thrombocytopenia. Serum biochemistryshowed elevated levels of alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase. The animal was given a blood transfusiondue to the severity of her anemia, but her clinical condition worsened and she died, whereupon her body was sent for necropsy. This necropsy revealed conspicuous signs of jaundice, splenomegaly and altered liver and kidney color. The liverwas brownish, with its natural surface firm and slightly irregular. The kidneys were diffusely blackened. The urine wasdark brown. Fragments of different organs were collected, fixed in 10% buffered formalin solution, routinely processedfor histopathology and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. A histological dissection of the liver showed the hepatic lobesdissected by fibrosis, forming islands of hepatocytes and numerous lymphocytes and...(AU)
Subject(s)
Animals , Female , Dogs , Hepatitis, Chronic/veterinary , Copper/toxicity , Hemolytic Agents/analysis , Heavy Metal Poisoning/veterinary , Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury, Chronic/veterinaryABSTRACT
Background: Copper is an essential micronutrient for the body to function properly. However, although it is a vital element,an excess of copper in the body is extremely toxic. Copper toxicity has been reported mainly in sheep. In dogs, clinicopathological signs of toxicity are characterized by chronic liver failure. This means that the hemolytic crisis so commonin sheep is a condition rarely associated with toxicity in dogs, so there are very few descriptions of this condition in theveterinary literature. The purpose of this report is to describe a case of hemolytic crisis in a dog with copper-associatedchronic hepatitis.Case: A medium-sized 6-year-old bitch was brought to the Veterinary Hospital of the Federal University of Santa Maria,with clinical presentation of apathy, anorexia and red urine. A physical examination revealed mildly jaundiced mucosaand dark brown urine. A urinalysis indicated the presence of protein, bilirubin and occult blood. The blood count revealedhypochromic macrocytic anemia, leukocytosis due to left shift neutrophilia and thrombocytopenia. Serum biochemistryshowed elevated levels of alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase. The animal was given a blood transfusiondue to the severity of her anemia, but her clinical condition worsened and she died, whereupon her body was sent for necropsy. This necropsy revealed conspicuous signs of jaundice, splenomegaly and altered liver and kidney color. The liverwas brownish, with its natural surface firm and slightly irregular. The kidneys were diffusely blackened. The urine wasdark brown. Fragments of different organs were collected, fixed in 10% buffered formalin solution, routinely processedfor histopathology and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. A histological dissection of the liver showed the hepatic lobesdissected by fibrosis, forming islands of hepatocytes and numerous lymphocytes and...