A case report of peritoneal dialysis for management of acute kidney injury caused by russell’s viper envenomation in a dog

Abstract

This report describes a five-year-old dog who had been bitten by a Russell’s viper. The patient presented clinical signs of anorexia, vomiting, lethargy, and anuria. Collectively with the laboratory test results of azotemia and hyperkalemia, acute kidney injury was diagnosed. Peritoneal dialysis (PD) was instigated when the azotemia became worse and anuria persisted, despite aggressive medical and f luid therapy. After 14 days of PD, the anuria was resolved, and the patient was discharged 7 days later. At the end of the last dialysis cycle, there was a significant reduction in the severity of the azotemia, and the serum hyperkalemia had returned to normal. One month after PD, the patient no longer had any abnormal clinical signs. Both the patient’s serum blood urea nitrogen level and creatinine levels returned to within the normal limits. PD proved to be an effective management of acute kidney injury in Russell’s viper envenomation in the reported dog. This report also describes a detailed procedure of PD which can be instigated in any veterinary practice.