{"id":24119,"date":"2025-10-01T15:48:14","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T20:48:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vetmed.tamu.edu\/news\/?p=24119"},"modified":"2025-10-01T15:48:16","modified_gmt":"2025-10-01T20:48:16","slug":"has-your-dog-eaten-a-bottle-of-pills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vetmed.tamu.edu\/news\/press-releases\/has-your-dog-eaten-a-bottle-of-pills\/","title":{"rendered":"Has Your Dog Eaten A Bottle Of Pills? New Services At The Texas A&M Small Animal Teaching Hospital Can Help"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Texas A&M\u2019s veterinary hospital is now home to two innovative, life-saving veterinary treatments that clean toxins from blood.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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Dr. Lance Wheeler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

When a dog accidentally ingests pills \u2014 usually from getting into their owners\u2019 medications or their own flavored prescriptions \u2014 it can cause acute intoxication, a medical emergency that requires quick action and immediate veterinary attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For dog owners living in or within an eight-hour driving distance from College Station, there is a new treatment option available \u2014 extracorporeal blood purification at the Texas A&M Small Animal Teaching Hospital<\/a> (SATH).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using two cutting-edge treatments \u2014 hemoperfusion and therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) \u2014 the Small Animal Emergency & Critical Care<\/a> team at the SATH can clean toxins from an animal\u2019s blood even after they have been absorbed by the bloodstream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAn overdose from eating a bottle of medication can be a death sentence for a dog,\u201d said Dr. Lance Wheeler<\/a>, a clinical assistant professor and board-certified small animal emergency and critical care specialist at the SATH. \u201cHemoperfusion and TPE have been shown to be highly effective in treating intoxications from overdoses when patients receive therapy soon after ingesting the pills.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two recent studies evaluating the use of TPE for dogs<\/a> with acute ingestion<\/a> or overdose of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) \u2014 one of the most common life-threatening intoxications in dogs and cats \u2014 demonstrated that TPE is safe, effective, and associated with an overall survival rate of 98\u201399%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The SATH is one of only a few practices in the southern United States to offer these life-saving treatments, which can also be used to treat complex conditions like immune mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA), an autoimmune disorder in which a dog\u2019s immune system destroys its own blood cells. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Helping Dogs Overcome Accidental Overdoses<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Dr. Igor Yankin<\/a>, a clinical assistant professor and expert in animal emergency and critical care<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

When a dog accidentally eats something toxic, their veterinarian may be able to induce vomiting to rid their body of the harmful substance \u2014 but this only works if the animal receives help before the substance is absorbed into the bloodstream, typically within six hours of ingestion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After that window \u2014 and without extracorporeal blood purification \u2014 the options for treatment become much more narrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUsing specialized equipment, we\u2019re able to separate out the parts of blood that bind to the toxin and either filter it with hemoperfusion or remove it and replace it with TPE,\u201d Wheeler said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cThe key requirements for offering these procedures to dogs and cats around the clock are trained personnel, equipment appropriately sized for small animal patients, and a well-stocked blood bank \u2014 all of which are now in place at the SATH,\u201d he said. \u201cThese three components are critical to sustaining 24\/7 availability, and we are working diligently to ensure the infrastructure is fully established to provide these life-saving treatments to the surrounding community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Receiving Treatment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you suspect that your pet has accidentally eaten your medication, call the ASPCA Poison Control Hotline at 888-426-4435 or the SATH\u2019s 24\/7 emergency service at 979-845-2351. Patients can also be referred through their primary veterinarian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

###<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information about the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, please visit our website at\u00a0<\/em>vetmed.tamu.edu<\/em><\/a>\u00a0or join us on\u00a0<\/em>Facebook<\/em><\/a>,\u00a0<\/em>Instagram<\/em><\/a>, and\u00a0<\/em>X<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contact Information:<\/em><\/strong> Jennifer Gauntt, Director of VMBS Communications, Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, <\/em>jgauntt@cvm.tamu.edu,<\/em><\/a> 979-862-4216<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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