A Case of Amphetamine and Methamphetamine Intoxication in Cat

Abstract

Stimulants belonging to the amphetamine group nowadays pose an undeniable worldwide threat to the life and health of users. Intoxications of domestic animals also occur, which can either be accidental or related to intentional human action. This study presents the first ever reported case of a simultaneous amphetamine and methamphetamine intoxication of a cat, along with the results of toxicological studies. Blood, urine, vitreous humor and liver were collected during the cat’s autopsy and analyzed by UHPLC─QqQ─MS/MS. The sample preparation technique was based on one-step precipitation of proteins with cold acetonitrile. The determined amphetamine concentrations in the collected biological materials were 93.4 ng/mL in blood, 496.6 ng/mL in urine, 589.2 ng/mL in the vitreous humor and 291.2 ng/g in liver, respectively. Methamphetamine concentrations were 45.5 ng/mL in blood, 263.1 ng/mL in urine, 351.2 ng/mL in vitreous humor, and 97.7 ng/g in liver. Other substances were also found in the biological material, i.e., diazepam, oxazepam and nordiazepam. Cases of intentional or accidental poisoning of pets with psychoactive substances are a serious problem, carrying the risk to the health and life of the animal. Therefore, it is important to increase awareness of the high risk of poisoning of domestic animals, as well as to learn about the incompletely understood mechanisms of pharmacokinetics of various drugs in animals, including cats.

Dog and cat exposures to drugs of abuse identified by the California animal health and food safety laboratory system 2013–2023

“…Unless these substances are used explicitly for medical purposes, any presence of illicit or recreational drugs in an animal specimen suggests an unintended exposure. Instances of malicious poisoning or various forms of animal abuse and cruelty, including involving pets in drug use, have been documented ( 34 , 35 ). These are often exposures with the intent to harm.…”

Nitrites: An Old Poison or a Current Hazard? Epidemiology of Intoxications Covering the Last 100 Years and Evaluation of Analytical Methods

“…In forensic toxicology, but also in other related subfields such as entomotoxicology or veterinary forensic toxicology, mass spectrometry remains the gold standard and the most widespread analytical technique for the determination of toxic substances [196][197][198][199][200][201][202]. A great advantage of mass spectrometry methods is the possibility to perform quantitative measurements using internal standards in the form of isotopically labeled analogs of the substances of interest.…”