Methemoglobinemia Secondary to Zinc Foreign Body Ingestion in a Dog

To describe a case of methemoglobinemia in a dog after exposure to a zinc-containing foreign body.

Zinc toxicosis in dogs is clinically associated with gastrointestinal dysfunction, pancreatitis, hemolytic anemia, and acute kidney failure. The current case report describes a dog presenting to the emergency room with zinc toxicosis and concurrent mild methemoglobinemia. The dog developed multi-organ dysfunction, ultimately resulting in cardiopulmonary arrest.

To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of methemoglobinemia in a dog presenting with zinc toxicosis. Our observations suggest that evaluation for methemoglobinemia in dogs with zinc intoxication may be prudent, especially because this derangement may contribute to tissue hypoxia in dogs. Further investigation is needed to elucidate the clinical relevance of methemoglobinemia and whether it affects the outcome in patients with zinc toxicosis.