HYPONATREMIA AND DOGS
I post this only in hope to help someone or their dog from suffering what I have suffered with my 1 year old Papillon, Lexie.
Lexie decided to join my daughter and her friend for a swim during our heat wave. You would think she was part otter the way she kept launching herself in over and over again. After about 15 minutes, she left the kids in the pool and started to whimper, tried to walk and then collapsed in the shrubs. After trying to stand up a couple of times, she kept on collapsing. My daughter scooped her up in a towel and ran her into the house. By the time I got to her she had already vomited quite a bit of water, had a vacant look and had shallow, labored breathing. Her gums were pale. We rushed her into the emergency vet. On the way there she started convulsing. She arrived in critical condition and stopped breathing within minutes of getting in the exam room. Quick responses, CPR, stat blood panels, oxygen, and IV treatment for electrolyte imbalances, had saved her. Lexie was discharged from the hospital after 48 hours mentally alert but unable to use her limbs. The extent of damage to her brain due to oxygen deprivation was unknown.
She apparently drank so much water while swimming in the pool that her electrolytes dropped to the point of causing hyponatremia (water toxicity) causing her blood plasma to thin and her brain and other organs to swell.
PROGRESS NOTES:
Thursday evening - Lexie was discharged from the hospital. She needed to be manually repositioned every three hours and massaged to encourage blood flow. She could not stay standing if propped upon her feet.
Friday morning - Lexie was able to stand by being stacked, and took a few steps for a successful potty break. By Friday afternoon she managed to stand up by herself and wobble walked about 10’ feet successfully. I started hydrotherapy to encourage her range of motion in the swimming pool. Plus, she got at least three massages a day (lucky dog).
Saturday she walked about 15 to 20 feet on slightly uneven terrain (redwood bark) and was able to catch herself when she lost footing. She got more mental stimulation as friends stop by to say hello. This really perked her up and made her want to move. By Saturday evening she not only drunken walked up and down the hallway a few times, she attempted to launch herself at Molly (my cat). The cat was amused, but not impressed. The hardwood floor was not very kind to her so she tried to stay on the carpeted areas as if it was an island.
Sunday morning I took her on a field trip to the dog training arena to increase her mental stimulation. She visited a few friends and was a bit subdued at first, but after a short while her confidence improved and she trotted about with the sure footedness of young fawn. She is very quiet and clingy now but she appears to remember a lot. By this evening she re-discovered the dog door on her own.
Three weeks later she still showed some lack of some coordination and weakness (like she had a stroke), however; her spirit never dampened and she offered more behaviors with each subsequent day, showing her playful side again with the other dogs – in addition to jumping up on the couch and claiming it her own.
I have been told that it can take up to six months to consider her fully recovered; however, Lexie has made incredible progress in such a short time. If it weren’t for her shaved legs, most people would not be able to detect that anything ever happened to her! We were extremely lucky. Thanks to the quick, excellent care of the emergency room team at the Atlantic Street Veterinary Hospital in Roseville, California, in addition to Lexie’s incredible spirit and pure will to survive; my family can continue to share this precious bundle of positive energy once again.
Will she be able to do dog sports again? As 'Arnold' might say… “She’ll be back!”
I hope this information will create greater awareness about the dangers of water intoxication in dogs. Since this incident I have heard of other incidents that have occurred with larger dogs playing in ponds, lakes, oceans -- even sprinkler heads! The size of the dog does not matter. While my dog is small, and it only took 15 minutes for her to become intoxicated, it has been documented that border collies, golden and Labrador retrievers (to name a few), even people, have gotten water intoxication during general water play or strenuous activity.
Please consider your dog's weight and size, and supervise the length of time you allow your dog to play in the water. It could save your dog's life.
Amie Lambert
info@placerdog.com
www.placerdog.com
HYPONATREMIA* -- Water Toxicity:
Any activity or situation...can lead to water intoxication when water is consumed to replace lost fluids. Anyone working in extreme heat and/or humidity for long periods must take care to drink and eat in ways that help to maintain electrolyte balance. Overexertion, heavy perspiration, and drinking large amounts of water to rehydrate, can lead to electrolyte imbalance and water intoxication. Even those who are resting quietly in extreme heat or humidity may run the risk of water intoxication if they drink large amounts of water over short periods for rehydration. If water enters the body more quickly than it can be removed, body fluids are diluted and a potentially dangerous shift in electrolyte balance occurs (particularly sodium compounds, such as sodium chloride). This causes cells to swell as a result of changes in osmotic pressure from within. When this occurs in the cells of the central nervous system and brain, water intoxication is the result. Initial symptoms typically include light-headedness, sometimes accompanied by nausea, vomiting, headache and/or malaise. Plasma sodium levels below 100 mmol/L (2.3g/L) frequently result in cerebral edema, seizures, coma, and death within a few hours of drinking the excess water. As with an alcohol poisoning, the progression from mild to severe symptoms may occur rapidly as the water continues to enter the body from the stomach or intravenously. This can effect human or dog and care should be taken when engaging in any strenuous activity especially during the hot seasons.
*edited resource from http://wikipedia.com
