Vetnuus | March 2026 17 General Treatment of Poisoning Immediate, life-saving measures may be needed initially. Beyond this, treatment consists of preventing further absorption of the poison, providing supportive treatment, and administering specific antidotes, if available. Thorough washing with soap and water can usually prevent further absorption of poisons on the skin. If the animal has a long or dense coat, the hair may need to be clipped. For some poisons that have been ingested, vomiting may be induced in dogs and cats. However, vomiting is not recommended if the suspected poison could damage the stomach or oesophagus on its way up, if more than a few hours have passed, if the swallowing reflex is absent, if the animal is convulsing, or if there is a risk of aspiration pneumonia (vomited material being inhaled into the lungs). If the animal is unconscious, the stomach may be flushed with a stomach tube, or surgery on the stomach may be needed. Laxatives and medications used to empty the bowels may be recommended in some instances to help remove the poison from the gastrointestinal tract. If the poison cannot be physically removed, sometimes activated charcoal can be administered by mouth to prevent further absorption by the gastrointestinal tract. Supportive treatment is often necessary until the poison can be metabolised and eliminated. The type of support required depends on the animal’s condition and may include controlling seizures, maintaining breathing, treating shock, controlling heart problems (for example, irregular heartbeats), and treating pain. In some cases, there is a known antidote for a specific poison. Algal Poisoning Algal poisoning is a severe and deadly condition caused by heavy growths of toxic blue-green algae in water, including drinking water and water used for agriculture, recreation, and aquaculture. Deaths and severe illnesses of livestock, pets, wildlife, birds, and fish occur worldwide. Poisoning usually occurs during warm seasons when the algal water blooms are larger and last longer. Most poisonings are seen among animals drinking algae-infested fresh water. Animal size and species sensitivity influence the degree of poisoning. Depending on bloom densities and toxin content, animals may need to ingest only a few ounces or up to several gallons of water to be poisoned. More than 30 species of blue-green algae, producing a number of different toxins, have been associated with toxic water blooms. Some species of algae produce toxins that damage nerve tissue. Others produce toxins that damage the liver, and others damage both nerve tissue and the liver. Death occurs within a few hours when the nervous system is affected because animals stop breathing. Liver failure causes death within a few days. An affected animal may have muscle tremors, watery or bloody diarrhoea, difficulty breathing, and go into a coma before death. A greenish algal stain may be seen on the mouth, nose, legs, and feet. When nerve tissue is affected, signs progress from muscle spasms to decreased movement, abdominal breathing, a bluish tinge to the skin and mucous membranes, convulsions, and death. Signs in birds are similar and also include spasm of the back muscles, which causes the head and legs to bend backwards and the trunk to arch forward. In smaller animals, leaping movements often occur before death. In horses that survive sudden poisoning, the nose, ears, and back become sensitive to light, followed by hair loss and skin sloughing. Affected animals should be moved to a protected area out of direct sunlight, away from the contaminated water supply. Ample quantities of water and good-quality feed should be made available. Surviving animals have a good chance of recovery. Activated charcoal slurry may be beneficial if given shortly after toxin ingestion. Keeping animals away from the affected water supply is essential. If no other water supply is available, animals should be allowed to drink only from shore areas kept free (by prevailing winds) of dense surface scums of algae. Cyanobacteria can be controlled by adding copper sulfate or other algicidal treatments to the water. Copper sulfate is best used to prevent bloom formation, and care should be taken to avoid water that contains dead algae cells, either from treatment with algaecide or natural ageing of the bloom. This is because toxin is freed into the water after breakdown of the intact algae cell walls. Algaecide use should comply with local environmental and chemical registration regulations. Arsenic Poisoning Arsenic poisoning is caused by several different types of arsenic compounds. Poisoning is relatively infrequent due to the decreased use of arsenic compounds as pesticides, ant baits, and wood preservatives. Arsenic compounds are used in some dips for tick control. Drinking water containing more than 0.25% arsenic is considered potentially toxic, especially for large animals. Cats may be more sensitive than other animals to arsenic poisoning. Arsenic compounds that dissolve in water are well absorbed after ingestion by mouth. After absorption, most of the arsenic is bound to red blood cells and distributed to body tissues, with the highest levels found in the liver, kidneys, heart, and lungs. In longterm exposures, arsenic accumulates in skin, nails, hooves, sweat glands, and hair. Generally, the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys, lungs, blood vessels, and skin are considered more vulnerable to arsenic damage. Signs of poisoning are usually sudden and severe, developing within a few hours (or up to 24 hours). Arsenic poisoning has major effects on the gastrointestinal tract and cardiovascular system. Loss of blood and shock may occur. Large amounts of watery diarrhoea, sometimes tinged with blood, are characteristic, as are severe colic, dehydration, weakness, depression, weak pulse, and collapse of circulation. The course may run from hours to several weeks, depending on the quantity of arsenic ingested. In very severe poisoning, animals may simply be found dead. In animals that have been recently exposed and are not yet showing signs, vomiting may be induced (in species that can vomit), followed by activated charcoal and a medication that causes emptying of the bowels. In dogs and cats, this may be followed 1 to 2 hours later by a medicine that prevents damage to the gastrointestinal tract, such as kaolin-pectin. Fluids are given as needed. In animals already showing signs of poisoning, fluid treatment, blood transfusion (if needed), and dimercaprol (an antidote to arsenic) are recommended. Severely affected animals need >>>18 Article
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTc5MDU=