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.