Thank you CVS!!
"A special thank you to the staff members that shared their lunches with 'Tosha' to try to coax...
"We are working with Hudson and he is doing very, very well … Thank you so much for your...
"You prolonged 'Kiva's' life, as well as the quality of his life. We will never forget your...
"'Nina' came to your hospital a very sick little dog, and because of you she was able to pull...
Roxy is normally a very happy, energetic, bouncy little 5 month old girl, so when her owner noticed Roxy acting dazed at home she knew something was seriously wrong. The only significant thing she could think of was that Roxy had eaten some horse poop a few hours earlier in the day.
On presentation to the ER, Roxy was disoriented and uncoordinated and her condition was rapidly deteriorating. Recognizing the symptoms and fearing the worst Dr. Jennifer Schultz asked the owner if the horses had been recently dewormed, and the answer was yes. Many horse dewormers contain ivermectin which can be deadly to dogs. Most horse owners know these dewormers can be harmful if given to their dogs directly, but don’t realize that they can be just as deadly if a pet eats the horse droppings after a recent deworming. This toxin can last up to two weeks in the environment in the summer time and longer in the winter time when the colder temperatures delay the toxin’s degradation.
Symptoms usually start within four hours of exposure and include disorientation, weakness, muscle tremors, seizures and coma. Blindness can also result. Some breeds such as collies, border collies, Australianshepherds and long haired whippets can carry a gene that makes them more sensitive to ivermectin toxicity than other breeds.
Roxy’s condition deteriorated rapidly and the decision was made to use an experimental drug called “intralipid” to trap and remove the toxin. (See “Lucy’s Story” for a report on how this was used successfully on a similar toxicity.)Roxy did lapse into a coma and required three days of 24 hour intensive care, but she is a very tough girl with a brave heart and she did pull through. We saw her on a recheck recently and she is back to her normal energetic self.
Roxy’s Mom is an experienced horsewoman and she was not aware of this problem. She was enthusiastic about telling Roxy’s story to raise the awareness of this potentially fatal toxicity.
Warm wishes and please keep your friends safe!
