Successful treatment of severe hypokalemia in a dog with acute kidney injury caused by leptospirosis.

OBJECTIVE

To report the case management of a patient with severe hypokalemia resulting in cardiopulmonary arrest caused by infection with leptospirosis.

METHODS

A 3-year-old intact female Dachshund presented for polyuria, polydipsia, and refractory hypokalemia, which progressed to flaccid paralysis and cardiorespiratory arrest. Following successful resuscitation, the dog was apneic and managed with mechanical ventilation while volume status and electrolytes were corrected. The dog showed rapid improvement allowing for weaning from the ventilator within the first day. The dog was identified as having leptospirosis causing severe kaliuresis (fractional excretion of potassium 31%). Following discharge from hospital, the dog was managed with doxycycline, oral potassium supplementation, and spironolactone and made a full clinical recovery.

CONCLUSIONS

This report identifies an unusually severe presentation of leptospirosis in a dog from a region where the disease is not considered common, which was successfully treated despite cardiopulmonary arrest on initial presentation.