OBJECTIVE To establish the minimum toxic dose of
isoniazid in dogs, characterize the clinical signs and outcomes for dogs following
isoniazid ingestion, and determine whether IV administration of
pyridoxine to dogs with
isoniazid toxicosis is protective against death. DESIGN Retrospective case series. ANIMALS 137 dogs with
isoniazid toxicosis. PROCEDURES The electronic database of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Animal Poison Control Center was reviewed from January 2004 through December 2014 to identify dogs with
isoniazid toxicosis. For each dog identified, information extracted from the medical record included signalment, estimated dose of
isoniazid ingested, clinical signs, treatment, and outcome. Follow-up communication with pet owners or primary care veterinarians was performed when necessary to obtain missing information. RESULTS Clinical signs of
isoniazid toxicosis were observed in 134 of 137 (98%) dogs and included
seizures (n = 104), CNS signs without
seizures (94), and gastrointestinal (41), cardiovascular (19), urogenital (4), and respiratory (1) abnormalities. Of the 87 dogs for which the outcome was available, 61 survived, 18 died, and 8 were euthanized. Probability of survival was positively associated with
body weight and IV administration of
pyridoxine and negatively associated with dose of
isoniazid ingested and presence of
seizures. Dogs that received
pyridoxine IV were 29 times as likely to survive as dogs that did not receive
pyridoxine IV. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results indicated rapid diagnosis of
isoniazid toxicosis and prompt treatment of affected dogs with
pyridoxine and other supportive care were imperative for achieving a successful outcome.