Toxicity of bunamidine. 3. Trial of propranolol as antidote

Authors: Bills GNB, Fastier FN
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 21, Issue 10, pp 216-217, Oct 1973
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Companion animal, Dog
Subject Terms: Alimentary system/gastroenterology, Animal remedies/veterinary medicines, Anthelmintics, Parasite control, Parasites - internal, Notifiable organisms/exotic disease, Zoonosis, Poisoning - chemical, Treatment/therapy, Toxicology, Public health, Infectious disease
Article class: Scientific Article

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Abstract: Sudden death after routine dosing of dogs with the anthelmintic, bunamidine, is probably due to the onset of ventricular fibrillation (Fastier et al 1968). However, it has not proved possible to discover conditions under which ventricular fibrillation can be obtained consistently in dogs by treatment with bunamidine and adrenaline. This makes it difficult to test in dogs what was thought would be a reasonable prophylactic measure, namely, administration of a beta-blocker. Treatment with such beta-blockers as propranolol has been found to reduce substantially the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias in circumstances where sympathetic activity plays an important part in the initiation of the disorder (Lucchesi and Whitsitt, 1969; Dollery et al 1969). On finding that ventricular fibrillation could be elicited more easily in the sheep than in the dog by treatment with bunamidine and adrenaline, the writers have used sheep for seeing whether pretreatment with propranolol could be of use for reducing the toxicity of bunamidine.

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