Dogs get into things they shouldn’t, which can include medications like Albuterol inhalers that are used by many of us to treat acute asthma. The devices look sturdy but a determined dog attracted by the unusual smell can be subjected to a massive dose if they puncture the cylinder.
Symptoms:
Albuterol elevates your dog’s heart rate to dangerous levels and reduces the potassium levels in the blood. Fortunately, if you obtain timely veterinarian help, recovery is usually rapid, but if help is not received your dog can become extremely ill and the result can be lethal. If you have it, take the inhaler in question as this can help with the diagnostic process.
Depending on the amount consumed, symptoms can occur within minutes of ingestion and include:
Vomiting
Anxiety
Muscle tremors
Weakness
Dilated Pupils
Drooling
Lethargy
Agitation
Hyperactivity
Rapid heart rate
Rapid Breathing
Your vet will do a physical examination including checking the heart rate and blood pressure as well as blood tests to determine potassium levels.
Treatment:
Once diagnosed, treatment is mainly of a symptomatic and supportive nature. Treatment options include:
IV fluid therapy
Hospitalization and monitoring
Medications to address arrhythmia such as propranolol or lidocaine
Benzodiazepines: used to manage tremors
Once treated, the animal's health condition must be closely monitored to reduce the risk of cardiac symptoms and seizures worsening.
With prompt and proper treatment and subsequent monitoring, dogs suffering from asthma inhaler toxicosis generally carry a good prognosis. Animals that develop severe tachycardia carry a guarded to poor prognosis.