Treatment of a case of feline baclofen toxicosis with intravenous lipid therapy

• Published in: Veterinary record case reports Vol. 2; no. 1
• Main Authors: Edwards, Paul, Shihab, Nadia, Scott, Harry W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London British Veterinary Association 01-01-2014; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Baclofen; Lipid Emulsion; Lipid Sink; Toxicosis
• ISSN: 2052-6121; 2052-6121
• DOI: 10.1136/vetreccr-2014-000059

Baclofen (γ-amino-β-[p-chlorophenyl]-butyric acid) is a centrally acting skeletal muscle relaxant that is frequently used in people. Baclofen toxicosis has previously been successfully treated in cats via supportive therapy alone, whereas administration of an intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE) has been reported as an adjunct to supportive therapy in dogs with baclofen toxicosis. This case report presents a cat that became severely stuporous following ingestion of baclofen (10 mg/kg) and was successfully treated with administration of ILE without any apparent side effects. The cat received a 1.5 ml/kg bolus of a 20 per cent lipid emulsion intravenously followed by a constant rate infusion (CRI) of 15 ml/kg/hour. Approximately one hour following initiation of the CRI, the cat became acutely more responsive. Intravenous lipid therapy may be a useful adjunct to conventional treatment in cases of feline baclofen toxicosis and other lipophilic drug toxicoses.