Production Animal Clinical Toxicology

Chemicals | Pathogenesis | Clinical Signs | Clinical Pathology | Necropsy | Diagnosis | Treatment

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Chemicals

• Inorganic
• use of arsenicals on farm animals (e.g. as acaricides) banned in Australia
• arsenic trioxide - termite powder; sodium arsenite herbicide, hide/skin preservative; sodium pentoxide
• Organic
• growth promotants

Pathogenesis

• trivalent form of As toxic - forms strong covalent bonds with sulphydryl groups on enzymes; interferes with those tissues rich in oxidative enzymes such as g.i.t., kidney, liver, lung, epidermis
• capillary endothelium also affected
• organic arsenicals act on CNS maybe through causing a vitamin B deficiency

Clinical Signs

• peracute
• sudden death
• acute
• abdominal pain, weakness, salivation
• gastroenteritis; mucoid to haemorrhagic diarrhoea
• shock, collapse, death

Clinical Pathology

• Reinsch test on urine from live animal or g.i.t. contents, liver, kidney from necropsy

Necropsy

• all species - severe haemorrhagic gastritis, enteritis

Diagnosis

• history
• clinical pathology
• necropsy

Treatment

• supportive therapy
• oral - saline purgative
• sodium thiosulphate - oral and iv