The Postmortem Diagnosis of Cholecalciferol Toxicosis: A Novel Approach and Differentiation from Ethylene Glycol Toxicosis

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to develop a novel approach to postmortem diagnosis of cholecalciferol (CCF) toxicosis in dogs using kidney, bile, and urine samples, and to differentiate CCF from ethylene glycol (EG) toxicosis. To achieve these objectives, specimens collected from 2 previous laboratory studies in which dogs were given a single oral toxic dose of CCF (8.0 mg/kg) were used. For EG toxicosis, historical data from the previous 13 years (1985–1998) were reviewed and confirmed cases of EG toxicosis were selected. The historical data were used to compare trace mineral concentrations, specifically of calcium and phosphorus to differentiate between intoxications caused by CCF from that caused by EG in dogs. Kidneys, bile, and urine from dogs that died of CCF toxicosis were analyzed for 25 monohydroxy vitamin D₃ (25(OH)D₃) and 1,25 dihydroxy vitamin D₃ (1,25(OH)₂D₃) and compared to known control unexposed dogs. Results of this study show that biliary and renal 25(OH)D₃ concentrations and renal calcium to phosphorus ratio are of diagnostic value in dogs exposed to toxic concentrations of CCF. The renal calcium to phosphorus ratio was <0.1 in normal dogs, 0.4–0.9 in dogs that died of CCF toxicosis, and >2.5 in dogs that died of EG toxicosis.

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