Metabolic changes associated with anaesthesia and cherry poisoning in a pony.
METHODS
A case of a pony with severe cyanide intoxication as a result of cherry ingestion is presented. General anaesthesia was performed for colic surgery. Severe metabolic lactate acidosis in combination with a high arterial oxygen partial pressure and clinically good peripheral perfusion parameters were the remarkable signs during anaesthesia. Severe hypothermia was obvious during recovery. Ten hours post-surgery the pony was euthanized as a result of neurological signs. The diagnosis of cyanide intoxication was made post-mortem.


CONCLUSIONS
Cherry ingestion can lead to lethal cyanide intoxication in horses indicated by severe nonhypoxic lactic acidosis during anaesthesia.
Mosing
Martina
M
Clinic for Anaesthesiology and Perioperative Intensive Care, Veterinary University Vienna, Austria. mmosing@liverpool.ac.uk
Kuemmerle
Jan M
JM
Dadak
Agnes
A
Moens
Yves P S
YP
D000758:Anesthesia / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000662:veterinary*; D000777:Anesthetics / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000818:Animals; D003486:Cyanides / Q000506:poisoning*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005517:Foodborne Diseases; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D006736:Horses; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000662:veterinary*; D027861:Prunus / Q000506:poisoning*
D000777:Anesthetics; D003486:Cyanides