Sm. Dial et al., COMPARISON OF ETHANOL AND 4-METHYLPYRAZOLE AS TREATMENTS FOR ETHYLENE-GLYCOL INTOXICATION IN CATS, American journal of veterinary research, 55(12), 1994, pp. 1771-1782
The efficacy of 4-methylpyrazole (4-MP) and ethanol as treatment for e
thylene glycol (EG) intoxication in cats was compared. Twenty-two cats
were assigned at random to 6 experimental groups. Cats of 1 experimen
tal group were given only 4-MP those of another experimental group wer
e given only EG. Cats of 3 experimental groups were intoxicated with E
G and given 4-MP at 0 hour or 2 or 3 hours after EG ingestion, and tho
se of 1 experimental group were given EG and treated with ethanol 3 ho
urs after EG ingestion. Physical, biochemical, hematologic, blood gas,
serum and urine EG concentrations, and urinalysis findings were evalu
ated at 0, 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 24, 48, and 72 hours, 1 week, and 2 weeks af
ter EG ingestion or 4-MP treatment in cats of the 4-MP only group. The
half-life of EG and percentage of ingested EG excreted unchanged were
determined for each group. 4-Methylpyrazole treatment at 0 hour was m
ost effective at preventing metabolism of EG. 4-Methylpyrazole was not
: effective in preventing development of renal failure when given 2 or
3 hours after EG ingestion. Ethanol given 3 hours after EG ingestion
was successful in preventing development of renal dysfunction in 2 of
the 6 cats treated 3 hours after EG ingestion. Of the remaining 4 cats
treated with ethanol, 2 developed transient renal dysfunction and 2 d
eveloped acute oliguric renal failure and were euthanatized. 4-Methylp
yrazol given 2 or 3 hours after EG ingestion was less effective in pre
venting EG metabolism than was ethanol given 3 hours after EG ingestio
n. Therefore 4-MP at the dose found to be effective in dogs, cannot be
recommended as an alternative to ethanol for treatment of EG intoxica
tion in cats.