Nursing of acute renal failure following ibuprofen toxicity in a dog: a patient care report

This patient care report hhighlights the veterinary nursing interventions provided to a canine patient that presented to the practice with ibuprofen toxicity.

Species: Canine

Breed: Australian Shepherd

Age: 7 months old

Sex: Male (neutered)

Weight: 16.2 kg

Approximately 20–60 minutes after ingesting 22–24 200 mg (296 mg/kg) ibuprofen tablets, the patient presented after hours to an emergency clinic with vomiting and an altered depressed demeanour.

On examination the patient's heart rate (HR) was at the higher half of the normal range at 132 beats per minute (bpm) (normal range 80–160 bpm (Bassert and Thomas, 2013)). During palpation of the abdomen tenderness was noted in the cranial region. These were the only abnormalities found during the full body examination.

Studies have shown toxic doses start at 50 mg/kg of ibuprofen, with renal damage in dogs (Richardson, 2000). Doses within certain ranges have different clinical signs, such as 50–125 mg/kg causing vomiting diarrhoea, nausea, anorexia, gastric ulceration and abdominal pain (Richardson, 2000). Doses above 175 mg/kg have the previous signs as well as renal failure (Richardson, 2000). At or above 400 mg/kg results in central nervous system (CNS) effects such as seizure, ataxia, and coma (Richardson, 2000).