title: Baclofen toxicosis in dogs and cats: 145 cases (2004-2010).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify dogs and cats with baclofen toxicosis and characterize the patient population, clinical signs, and outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  140 dogs and 5 cats with baclofen toxicosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  An animal poison control center electronic database was reviewed from November 2004 through April 2010 to identify dogs and cats with baclofen toxicosis. Information on signalment, clinical signs, and amount of baclofen ingested was obtained. Clinical signs were categorized as CNS, gastrointestinal, general malaise, cardiovascular, respiratory, or urogenital. Follow-up communications were performed to determine overall outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Dogs had a median age of 0.67 years (range, 0.1 to 15 years) and cats of 1 year (range, 0.7 to 16 years). Of 145 patients, 133 (92%) developed clinical signs of baclofen toxicosis. A total of 259 signs fell within defined categories: CNS (121/259 [46.7%]), gastrointestinal (69/259 [26.6%]), general malaise (27/259 [10.4%]), cardiovascular (23/259 [8.9%]), respiratory (14/259 [5.4%]), and urogenital (5/259 [1.9%]). For 68 dogs with known survival status, survival rate was 83.8% (57/68); of these dogs, the amount of baclofen ingested was known for 53 (46 survivors and 7 nonsurvivors). Amount of baclofen ingested was significantly lower in survivor dogs (median, 4.2 mg/kg [1.91 mg/lb]; range, 0.61 to 61 mg/kg [0.28 to 27.7 mg/lb]), compared with nonsurvivor dogs (median, 14 mg/kg [6.4 mg/lb]; range, 2.3 to 52.3 mg/kg [1.04 to 23.77 mg/lb]. Of 5 cats, 2 survived, 1 died, and 2 had unknown outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinical signs of baclofen toxicosis occurred in most patients, with the CNS being the system most commonly affected.
authors.affiliation: Section of Emergency and Critical Care, Angell Animal Medical Center, 350 S Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02130, USA. rkhorzad@mspca.org
authors.forename: Roxanna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Khorzad
authors.forename: Justine A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Whelan
authors.forename: Ahna G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Brutlag
authors.forename: Elizabeth P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Lee T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Miyahara
authors.forename: Lynn R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Hovda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001418:Baclofen / Q000506:poisoning*; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D002415:Cats; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009125:Muscle Relaxants, Central / Q000506:poisoning*; D011039:Poison Control Centers; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D009125:Muscle Relaxants, Central; D001418:Baclofen