A recently published case report from the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences described two dogs that suffered toxicity after accidentally ingesting a livestock feed additive.
Ractopamine is often used as a growth promoter in cattle, pigs and poultry. As a beta-agonist, it can severely damage the heart muscle — as in dogs with access to feed or storage areas.
Both dogs presented with muscle tremors and severe ventricular arrythmias. However, standard treatments for the abnormal cardiac rhythms were ineffective — but beta-blockers did the trick.
This report alerts veterinarians to a novel cause of unexplained ventricular arrhythmias in dogs and details effective treatment. The earlier these dogs are treated, the better their chances are for survival.