Dog Poisoning From Ethylene Glycol and The Importance of Early Diagnosis

Abstract

A study on the intoxicative effect of ethylene glycol in pets has been conducted. Three Albanian cities were monitored, respectively Tirana, Korça, and Shkodra for a two-year period. The data from this study was collected in accordance with a questionnaire prepared in advance, before being processed and analyzed. The main highlighted indicators monitored were: the number of the intoxicated dogs, the number of the dogs who were treated, treatment period, mortality, number of the dogs who were treated each month and season. The number of intoxicated dogs in all three cities was 59, whereas 52 were treated. 19% of the cases ended in death. Korça resulted with the highest rate of treatment, and mortality as well, because of the wide use of the ethylene glycol. In only 32.7% of the cases the dogs were sent immediately to the clinic for treatment. The animals that were sent to the clinic late, resulted with a higher mortality rate (25.7% of the treated animals). The most ethylene glycol poisoning cases happened during the end of spring and the beginning of summer (43 animals), which is related to the end of the frost season, when ethylene glycol is not used any more. Human negligence and a lack of awareness caused the dogs to be in contact with, and get poisoned by, the ethylene glycol solutions. The conclusion of the monitoring is that there is a need to highlight that ethylene glycol intoxications are present in dogs and should be taken in to consideration, because they damage their health.

Keywords

• Dogs,Ethylene glycol,Intoxication,Treatment

References

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