Therapy and outcome of suspected alpha lipoic acid toxicity in two dogs

Abstract

ALA is an uncommon but serious toxin that should be considered in cases presenting with hypoglycemia, acute renal failure, or acute hepatic insult.

Beta-Cell Neoplasia: Insulinoma

“…Clinical hypoglycemia has been reported in dogs following the ingestion of alpha lipoic acid (Loftin and Herold, 2009), dried chicken jerky treats (Hooper and Roberts, 2011;Thompson et al, 2013), and xylitol (Murphy and Coleman, 2012). Alpha lipoic acid has antioxidant properties, is available as an over-the-counter supplement, and has been investigated as possible adjunctive treatment for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus and diabetic neuropathy.…”

Pathophysiology and aetiology of hypoglycaemic crises

“…Proposed mechanisms for hypoglycaemia include increased uptake of glucose, increased number of glucose transport proteins and inhibition of gluconeogenesis, among others (Jacob et al . , Loftin & Herold ).…”

“…Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is an acid that is found as a natural compound and acts as a biological cofactor (Loftin & Herold ). It has been investigated as a possible therapy in the treatment of a number of conditions in humans, including cancer (Wenzel et al .…”

“…However, ALA has been reported to be a concerning potential toxicity in companion animals. There are three existing case reports of toxicity in dogs (Means , Loftin & Herold ), and ALA has been noted to be 10 times more toxic in cats as compared to dogs, humans and rats (Hill et al . ).…”

“…). Cats with ALA toxicity have been noted to exhibit anorexia, ataxia, hypersalivation, vomiting and elevated hepatic enzymes with single doses of 60 mg/kg (Loftin & Herold ). Dogs can exhibit similar signs as well as hypoglycaemia, hepatic and renal failure (Loftin & Herold ).…”