Relay Barbiturate Toxicity Case Report
Friday, August 28, 2015 at 10:51AM Hayley Rasmussen - Washington State
In February of 2015 veterinarians were called on emergency to a wild animal sanctuary in Reno, Nevada. The emergency consisted of one wolf found dead, one tiger found unresponsive, and a cheetah found alive but unresponsive. Jamar, a 9-year-old male, castrated cheetah had been at the same sanctuary since April of 2006. When the veterinarian arrived, Jamar was unconscious, hypothermic (not registering by rectal thermometer), tachycardic (180-200 beats per minute), and bradypneic (8-10 breaths per minute). Mucous membrane color was pink, and capillary refill time was less than two seconds. His eyes were rolled ventral with a very sluggish palpebral response.
Initial treatment was symptomatic and involved warming the patient with appropriate placement of warm fluid bags and blankets, intravenous fluid therapy (emergency replacement at 60 mL/kg for one hour, followed by 
maintenance level) and dextrose supplementation. At the time of initial treatment, there was a large differential list, including mostly toxic events because of the multiple animal involvement where there was a history of the patients eating a shared meat source.
Blood was drawn to run a complete blood count and serum chemistry panel, while urine was obtained by manual expression so a urinalysis could be performed. The blood work results were unremarkable except for a very mild lymphopenia, hypoproteinemia, and hypernatremia. Urinalysis results were unremarkable as well. An over the counter barbiturate dip-stick test of the urine was positive. A positive OTC urine barbiturate test is not definitive for barbiturate toxicity; however, with the case history and clinical signs this was highly suggestive of relay toxicity in Jamar.
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