Duloxetine ingestion in 364 dogs

To describe abnormal clinical signs following duloxetine ingestion in dogs.

364 client-owned dogs that ingested duloxetine.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Animal Poison Control Center electronic database was searched for records of dogs with duloxetine ingestion between January 2012 and December 2016. Data collected included age, body weight, breed, duloxetine exposure and dose, clinical signs, and overall outcome. Clinical signs were categorized as either neurologic, digestive, cardiovascular, respiratory, or metabolic and endocrine. Outcomes were categorized as no clinical signs, fully recovered, died, or unknown.

Clinical signs developed in 55 of the 364 (15.1%) dogs with known ingestion of duloxetine. The most common clinical signs were lethargy (22/55 [40%]), mydriasis (18/55 [33%]), vomiting (11/55 [20%]), and trembling (6/55 [11%]). Dogs that ingested an estimated dose of duloxetine ≥ 20 mg/kg (9.1 mg/lb) were more likely to have had abnormal clinical signs than were dogs that ingested < 20 mg/kg.

Findings indicated that most dogs in the present study did not have clinical signs associated with ingestion of duloxetine and that development of clinical signs varied by individual dog. Further information is needed to determine toxic dose ranges for duloxetine ingestion in dogs. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2019;255:1161-1166).