Bifenthrin Fatality in a Canine: A Case Report with Postmortem Concentrations

Abstract A case of canine intoxication and fatality with the pyrethroid insecticide bifenthrin is described. A 5-year-old female spayed Pit Bull Terrier was off leash and unsupervised at home for 15–20 min prior to discovery by her owner. The patient was in lateral recumbency, having what the owner described as a seizure. The patient was transported to an emergency veterinary hospital where she presented with tachycardia, tachypnea and intractable tremors/seizures. Despite aggressive medical intervention, the patient went into respiratory and cardiac arrest and died at 28 h after presentation. A postmortem liver sample screened positive for bifenthrin by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). During the screening procedure, four additional bifenthrin-metabolic products were also observed. Concentrations for bifenthrin were determined for fat, kidney, liver and urine by GC–MS-MS. This is the first reported case of a canine fatality resulting from bifenthrin.