POSTMORTEM DIAGNOSIS OF ACCIDENTAL COCAINE INTOXICATION IN A DOG

Despite an abundance of data on the experimental effects of cocaine in dogs, nb detailed reports documenting accidental cocaine exposure in domestic pets have been reported in the veterinary literature. A case of cocaine intoxication is described in a 19-mo-old male catahoula hou nd in which the diagnosis was confirmed using histopathology, thin-lay er chromatography and mass spectrometry. The case was presented as a p ossible intoxication of unknown etiology. Routine toxicologic screens and characteristic histologic lesions provided evidence for the diagno sis without prior suspicion of cocaine involvement.