Page 84 - Veterinary Toxicology, Basic and Clinical Principles, 3rd Edition

Epidemiology of Animal Poisonings in Europe Chapter | 3 51

VetBooks.ir Other Metals and Inorganic Compounds involved dogs and 34.1% cats (Wang et al., 2007). The
highest percentage of incidents was associated with carba-
Mercury (Hg) poisoning is uncommon in domestic ani-
mates (50.3%), followed by herbicides and molluscicides
mals but should be taken into account as a potential cause
(22.3%), anticoagulant rodenticides (18.9%), organopho-
of renal failure. In Germany, a 4-month-old male German
sphates (5.1%), and nonanticoagulant rodenticides (3.4%)
shepherd dog presented with a 2-day history of vomiting,
(Wang et al., 2007).
bloody diarrhea, and severe renal function impairment.
Grazing animals are more exposed to pesticides than
After euthanasia, due to the poor prognosis, the owner
livestock kept in the barn. Nevertheless, application or
admitted that a barometer containing Hg had broken in
storage of pesticides in barns occasionally leads to acci-
the bedroom about a week before the dog had developed
dental animal toxicosis. In certain EU countries such as
clinical signs. The route of exposure to Hg was presumed
Greece and France, pesticide poisoning is, by far, the
to be digestive and respiratory (Hansmann et al., 2009).
most common cause of livestock toxicosis in comparison
In Italy, Hg exposure following the accidental inges-
to other countries such as Belgium, Spain, and Italy
tion of thermometers showed a clear downward trend
(Guitart et al., 2010a; Garcı ´a-Arroyo et al., 2015).
over time in dog (Caloni et al., 2012). Also, in Italy, a
Pesticides and more specific anticholinesterase insecti-
marsh harrier was found dead in a wetland in the north-
cides and rodenticides followed by molluscicides and avi-
east, and a postmortem diagnosis of Hg poisoning was
21 cides are among the most frequently reported causes of
established, based on levels of 20 μgg in both liver and
wildlife poisoning in Europe (Berny, 2007; Berny and
kidney. Hg still appears as a major threat for fish-eating
Gaillet, 2008; Guitart et al., 2010b; Sharp et al., 2013). The
predators such as otters or cormorants (Alomar et al.,
investigation of pesticide poisoning of the cinereous vulture
2016). Zinc (Zn) toxicity is rarely observed in Europe.
in Spain revealed that carbofuran, aldicarb, and strychnine
Two cases involving dogs were reported in the United
account for up to 88% of all cases (Herna ´ndez and
Kingdom when both animals ingested a badly designed
Margalida, 2008). Between 1998 and 2004, 70 animals of
tag distributed by an international animal health labora-
the wild fauna (38 birds and 32 mammals) of northern
tory to identify that the dogs had been microchipped
Greece were subjected to analysis and 52.63% of birds and
(Adam et al., 2011). Unusual clinicopathological findings
43.75% of mammals tested positive for toxic substances
have also been reported, as in the case of a 6-year-old
responsible for their death (Samouris et al., 2007). In
female Labrador Retriever that had ingested a Zn toy;
Greece, it appears that anticholinesterase agents are the
hematological findings revealed a large number of Heinz
main cause of wildlife poisoning followed by sporadic inci-
bodies and marked anemia (Bexfield et al., 2007). Zn poi-
dents due to warfarin and cyanide salts (Samouris et al.,
soning is regularly suspected and confirmed in cage birds
2007; Guitart et al., 2010b). A recent report in France
(zinc cages) by the ToxLab in France.
shows that aldicarb and carbofuran represented 11% 33%
In NL, an accident took place when a veterinarian
of the identified causes of death of birds of prey (Egyptian
advised the owner of a 4.5 kg Schipperke dog to give it
vulture, griffon vulture, bearded vulturı ´, and red kite) col-
table salt to induce vomiting after ingestion of one tablet
lected along the Pyrenean Mountains (Berny et al., 2015).
of digoxin. Apparently, the dose administered was too
large and the dog presented neurological signs of salt poi-
soning and died a few hours later. A similar case occurred Insecticides
in France with a 5-year-old female Doberman Pinscher
Carbamates were found to be responsible for the majority
(Pouzot et al., 2007), but this time it was treated success-
of acute dog poisoning incidents in Belgium, the Czech
fully and survived.
Republic, Spain, and Italy (Giuliano Albo and Nebbia,
2004; Modra and Svobodova, 2009; Vandenbroucke
et al., 2010; Ruiz-Sua ´rez et al., 2015). Apart from being
PESTICIDES
responsible for 46.9% of positive cases involving sheep
Pesticides are common culprits in animal poisoning cases and 66.7% involving goats in northern Greece (Guitart
as a result of inappropriate or careless use. For companion et al., 2010a), carbamates were also found to be the cause
animals, most of the suspected poisoning cases in of a recent case involving the poisoning of 55 members
Belgium, Greece, Spain, France, and Italy involved anti- of a dairy goat herd following the consumption of
cholinesterase insecticides (Berny et al., 2010a; drenched carnations at a nearby greenhouse (Giadinis
Vandenbroucke et al., 2010; Caloni et al., 2012; Ruiz- et al., 2009). Moreover, carbofuran and/or aldicarb has
Sua ´rez et al., 2015). In Spain, rodenticides are as much to been, by far, the most common cause of wildlife toxicoses
blame as insecticides (Berny et al., 2010a). A 6-year ret- in Belgium, the Czech Republic, and Spain in the last
rospective study in Austria investigated pesticide poison- decade (Modra and Svobodova, 2009; Vandenbroucke
ing and revealed 123 positive cases; out of 225, 47.2% et al., 2010; Ruiz-Sua ´rez et al., 2015).