Acute hypocalcemic effect of ethanol in dogs

Ethanol has been shown to reduce serum calcium in multiple animal studies. However, in human studies done using lower doses of alcohol, only inconclusive results have been obtained. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of varying doses of oral ethanol on total serum calcium. Fifteen adult mongrel dogs (17-25 kg) were divided into three groups which differed in the dosage of ethanol given. Group I animals received 0.5 g/kg of ethanol; Group II, 1.0 g/kg ethanol; and Group III, 2.0 g/kg of ethanol. Venous blood was sampled for estimation of concentrations of total serum calcium and ethanol. In the animals in Group I, serum calcium levels were unchanged by the ethanol. In both Groups II and III, significant reductions in serum calcium were demonstrated, which occurred within 5 min of intoxication. The mean decrease in serum calcium in Group III animals was significantly greater than that in either Group I and II. We conclude that the rapid hypocalcemic effect requires a threshold amount of ethanol before it becomes chemically evident. This critical value in dogs approximated 1 g/kg which results in a mean peak serum alcohol concentration of 117 +/- 6 mg/dl.