Background
Malarone
®
is a drug used for the treatment of malaria in humans. This drug is also particularly effective in the treatment of canine
Babesia gibsoni
infections. Malarone
®
is rarely used in dogs, and its adverse effects have not been widely reported. Its mechanism of action is related to the inhibition of cytochrome b and electron transport in the cell. This is the first known report of the development of acute pancreatitis and alopecia in a dog following the administration of Malarone
®
.
Case presentation
A 3-year-old, intact, female Maltese was referred to our clinic with intermittent vomiting and sudden, generalized alopecia. Two months previously, the dog had been prescribed Malarone
®
for the treatment of a suspected
B. gibsoni
infection. The dog was evaluated using hematology, radiography, ultrasonography, a PCR for
Babesia
detection, and a canine pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (cPLI) assay. The result of the PCR test was negative, whereas the cPLI assay yielded a positive result. Dermatologic examination revealed bacterial infection with hair cycle arrest.
Conclusions
Based on these findings, drug-induced acute pancreatitis and alopecia with superficial pyoderma were diagnosed. Malarone
®
may induce severe adverse reactions in dogs. Therefore, careful monitoring for adverse effects is required when using Malarone
®
in dogs.
A 9‐year‐old intact female toy poodle was presented with oedema around the neck, including pus and cutaneous necrosis, 2 days after starting firocoxib treatment and placement of a cervical collar for intervertebral disc disease. Cytology of the pus revealed predominantly mature neutrophils with fewer macrophages and lymphocytes, indicating sterile inflammation. Although a skin biopsy could have provided more diagnostic information, it was not performed at presentation. Firocoxib treatment was discontinued, and immunosuppressive therapy including cyclosporine was initiated, which significantly alleviated the skin lesions. The dog recovered fully in 7 weeks. The final diagnosis was a possible cutaneous adverse drug reaction to firocoxib based on history, clinical signs and response to therapy.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.