In Portland, Oregon, a 7-year-old dog survived prolonged cardiac arrest after ingesting at least 40 tablets of human medications for bipolar disorder and depression.
A veterinary emergency and specialty hospital in Portland, Oregon, recently reported an outcome few critical care veterinarians might expect to see. A 7-year-old dog survived after ingesting massive doses of multiple human psychotropic drugs, amounts associated with sudden death in dogs. According to DoveLewis Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Hospital, the hospital who treated the dog, the patient (Nelly) suffered cardiopulmonary arrest shortly after arrival and underwent 17 minutes of continuous cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
According to DoveLewis, Nelly reportedly consumed 30 to 40 tablets of Lamictal (lamotrigine), along with 5 to 10 tablets of mirtazapine, and 5 to 10 tablets of Auvelity, a combination drug containing dextromethorphan and bupropion. These amounts translate to approximately 201 mg/kg of lamotrigine, 7.5 mg/kg of mirtazapine, and 75 mg/kg combined for dextromethorphan and bupropion.1 These doses, the veterinary hospital said, “far exceed” levels associated with seizures, ventricular arrhythmias, and sudden death in canines. Nelly’s family was not home when she ingested the medications, said DoveLewis…