4470 El Camino Real

Los Altos, California 94022

Veterinarian Always on Duty

Severe Allergic Reaction

Lucky's Unlucky Reaction

Lucky, a nine year old Labrador came to Adobe Animal Hospital because her owner found her collapsed in the backyard. She has seemed fine earlier that day. She had no history of being sick and was not on any medication. When I checked Lucky, she would wag her tail and respond to me but seemed very tired. The color of her gums was an abnormal gray color. They should be bright pink. It was hard to hear her heart. Lucky's pulses, which we check inside the hind legs, were weak and hard to feel.

The veterinary technician quickly placed an IV catheter, which is a tube into a vein, so we could deliver sterile saline solution into Lucky's body. This helped fill up her veins and get her blood circulating better. Next, we took x-rays of Lucky's chest and found that her heart and the vena cava, which is the big vein leaving her heart, were small, indicating a shock. In addition to fluids to treat shock, Lucky received an injection of a catabolic steroid called dexamethasone. This is not the type of steroid body builders or athletes use; those are called anabolic steroids. Catabolic steroids help stabilize blood pressure and cells and reduce inflammation. They are used a lot in allergic reactions and are commonly used in people, dogs, and cats with asthma.

As we settled Lucky into the hospital we noticed that her muzzle was swelling up. This supported a diagnosis of an allergic reaction. Her reaction was bordering on anaphylactic, meaning a sudden, dangerous reaction involving parts of the immune system that do not usually activate. Her body was trying to protect itself from invaders, but went a little overboard.

We did blood tests on Lucky to make sure everything else was fine and she passed with flying colors. After being cared for by our ICU staff overnight, Lucky went home the next day feeling good. Since then she has swallowed a bee! But this time she did fine.

Date: May 2005

Species: Dog

Diagnosis: Allergic reaction

Doctor: Cristi Derenzi

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