VN October 2020

Vetnuus |Oktober 2020 38 A dog owner lost two pets after they accidentally ingested Fluorouracil 5% topical skin cancer cream (in this instance marketed as Efudix 5%). In the early evening, soon after applying this cream to her skin from a nearly full tube, the owner left the room to answer a phone call, leaving the capped tube on a nearby coffee table.When she returned, she noticed the cream all over the blanket on the lounge and found the oldest of her three dogs had the punctured and the near empty tube in its mouth. The woman removed the tube and the blanket was placed into the washing machine. With all three dogs yet unaffected, no clear idea of which ones were exposed, and no sense of the danger posed by ingestion of this chemical, no veterinary advice was sought at this time. By 3am the next morning the owner was woken by her 5 kg, 8-month-old Mini Fox Terrier having a seizure and at this point also noticed he had been vomiting. Veterinary opinion was sought by phone and the affected pup was presented for assessment at around 3.45 am. The pup was displaying neurological signs that included; incoordination, uncontrolled head and body movements, dull demeanour and confused behaviour. Between vet and owner, it was estimated that the little dog had ingested more than twice the invariably fatal dose of this chemical. With such a dire prognosis the owner elected to euthanase. Later the same morning around 8am, the owner noticed her 3kg, eight-month-old male Chihuahua had vomited at home. He displayed no other remarkable symptoms at this point but was presented for examination. ‘Supportive therapy was commenced at the same local veterinary hospital. By 3pm that afternoon, he too had developed profound neurological symptoms, tremors and collapse. Two and a half days later, the pup was euthanased after his condition deteriorated, despite treatment. Symptoms of Fluorouracil toxicity can include vomiting and diarrhoea, tremors, lethargy, incoordination, uncontrollable seizures, cellular, neurological, metabolic and bone marrow impairment. Veterinary toxicology studies show that as little as 2-3g (1/2 teaspoon) of Fluorouracil 5% cream can be fatal in small patients. There are recorded cases of toxic ingestion in animals after biting tubes, licking owner’s skin, and even grooming their coat after being petted by an owner who had Fluorouracil 5% cream on their hands. Fluorouracil 5% topical cream is extremely toxic to pets if ingested, yet there are no warnings on the product or the dispensing labels. Medical practitioners and pharmacists are often unaware of the significant risk of pet toxicity. Even in veterinary circles Fluorouracil toxicity isn’t widely documented. However, young pets are known to eat surprising things. v (Source: https://www.echo.net.au/2020/09/pets-dead-after-eating - skin-cancer-cream/) Bits and Bobs I Stukkies en Brokkies Dogs die after eating skin cancer cream Pursuing a pathogen: building on a century of research In 1908, using just a microscope, veterinarian Sir Arnold Theiler discovered a microorganism inside the gut of ticks that sickens thousands of cows annually. More than a century later, researchers are using molecular tools to build on Theiler’s work. “It took more than 100 years, but we are inching closer toward what has always been the goal – a safe, global vaccine that is effective against all strains of the pathogen,” said Professor Kelly Brayton, a researcher in WSU’s Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology department, who has partnered with University of Pretoria Professors Nicola Collins and Marinda Oosthuizen on the project.The pathogen, Anaplasma marginale, is transmitted through the tick’s salivary glands and into the host when ticks feed, resulting in bovine anaplasmosis, with anaemia, fever, breathlessness, weight loss, lethargy, abortion, and, if left untreated, death, with up to a 36% mortality rate. “This is one of the top three widespread livestock diseases in the world,” Brayton said. “In addition to sickness and death, this disease can spread quickly and result in major economic losses for beef producers.” Brayton and the team’s goal is to produce a vaccine that can be used against the diverse strains of Anaplasma >>> 39 Fluorouracil 5% topical skin cancer cream (in this instance marketed as Efudix 5%)