COMPARISON OF ETHANOL AND 4-METHYLPYRAZOLE AS TREATMENTS FOR ETHYLENE-GLYCOL INTOXICATION IN CATS

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.