Open AccessHepatopathy in 4 Dogs Treated with Amiodarone
Author(s) -
Jacobs Gilbert,
Calvert Clay,
Kraus Marc
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of veterinary internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.356
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1939-1676
pISSN - 0891-6640
DOI - 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2000.tb01506.x
Subject(s) - amiodarone , medicine , lethargy , anorexia , adverse effect , neutropenia , cardiomyopathy , cardiology , gastroenterology , anesthesia , heart failure , toxicity , atrial fibrillation
Amiodarone is a class III antiarrhythmic drug used in dogs with dilated cardiomyopathy and ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Hepatopathy is one of the more commonly reported adverse effects of amiodarone use in people. We describe 4 dogs that developed hepatopathy associated with amiodarone administration; 2 dogs also developed neutropenia. Three dogs had clinical signs of anorexia and lethargy; 1 did not show signs until impaired liver function had developed. Clinical signs or biochemical abnormalities developed 1.5–8 months after amiodarone treatment was started. Clinical signs resolved within 2 weeks of discontinuing amiodarone, but biochemical abnormalities did not resolve for 6–8 weeks. The delay between onset of liver disease and overt clinical signs suggests that serial evaluation of liver enzyme activities following amiodarone use in dogs is important.