Page 86 - Veterinary Toxicology, Basic and Clinical Principles, 3rd Edition

Epidemiology of Animal Poisonings in Europe Chapter | 3 53

VetBooks.ir with drugs/additives resulting in the exposure of nontarget accidental ingestion of drugs involves the intake of equine
deworming medication by dogs. Collies are especially
animals. An example of the former is the Belgian dioxin
known for their breed-dependent adverse reaction to iver-
incident in 1999 in which a tank of recycled fats used to
produce animal feeds was accidentally contaminated with mectin (Berny et al., 2010a).
approximately 100 liters of polychlorinated biphenyl oil Livestock poisoning cases related to human and veteri-
(Vandenbroucke et al., 2010). Another example is a mela- nary drugs has seldom been reported in Europe in the last
mine contaminated feed crisis in the pig industry in ES. decade. Cases include the poisoning of calves by doxycy-
Between 2003 and 2006, 300 400 Iberian piglets devel- cline in BE after receiving high doses as treatment for
oped nephrotoxicosis subsequent to exposure to melamine respiratory disorders (Vandenbroucke et al., 2010) and
and derivatives. Morbidity was 40% 60% and mortality sheep and cattle in the United Kingdom due to the misuse
20% 40% in the total population of postweaning piglets of unlabeled or out-of-date diazinon products (Sharpe
(Gonza ´lez et al., 2009). et al., 2006). A presumably deliberate oral ivermectin
The phenomenon of cross-contamination of feed is intoxication has been described on a veal farm in BE
well known where ionophores such as monensin, lasalo- (Vermeulen et al., 2016). All 330 calves, aged between 2
cid, narasin, and salinomycin are concerned. They are fre- and 4 weeks, showed severe depression, sternal to lateral
quently used as feed additives and coccidiostats for cattle, recumbency, tremor, and headshaking, and 13.6% died.
sheep, and poultry. Acute monensin or other ionophores
toxicosis in equids is well documented (Decloedt et al.,
2012). Although ionophores are considered to be rela- HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS
tively safe for target animals, a number of ionophore poi-
Since dogs and cats share our domestic environment, they
soning cases in poultry were recently reported and
are highly exposed to household products (e.g., 720 cases
reviewed in Markiewicz et al. (2014). A special case of
in France in 2003) (Berny et al., 2010a). Among them,
acute tiamulin-salinomycin toxicosis in pigs due to a
hydrocarbons account for nearly 40% of poisoning inci-
pharmacokinetic interaction between both compounds
dents, especially in the case of cats exposed to domestic
was reported in Belgium (Vandenbroucke et al., 2010).
fuel, xylene, and other common solvents used in paint
Other feed-related poisoning incidents observed during
and paint solvents. Exposure to these substances usually
the last years in Europe involve well-known toxicants
results in very severe cases with a high mortality rate.
such as nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia. Sharpe and Livesey
Other common household toxicants include detergents
(2005) reported three nitrate poisoning incidents involving
and caustics (bleach, strong acids and bases), accounting
cattle and one involving sheep in the United Kingdom
for almost another 40% of the 720 cases. In 2004, 69 calls
between 1990 and 2002. Several cases of acute mortality
related to fertilizer poisoning were registered in France
in pigs in Belgium have been described in which still,
and most of them (65%) resulted in moderately severe
standing water was identified as the nitrite source
cases with digestive disorders. Similarly in Italy, bleach
(Vandenbroucke et al., 2010). In the case of cattle, there
and detergents are often involved in the poisoning of both
have been occasional incidents of overconsumption of
cats and dogs, whereas petroleum distillate poisoning was
soybean meal causing acute carbohydrate fermentation
reported mainly in cats (Amorena et al., 2004; Giuliano
and excessive ammonia release leading to nervous symp-
Albo and Nebbia, 2004). In Italy and Spain, ethylene gly-
toms or of ingestion of cultivated and wild onions (Allium
col poisoning involving dogs has been recorded (Berny
spp.) resulting in hemolytic anemia and acute death
et al., 2010a), and some recent cases involving cats have
(Vandenbroucke et al., 2010).
been analytically confirmed in Catalonia, Spain. Birds
appear to be very sensitive to polytetrafluoroethylene
DRUGS AND RELATED COMPOUNDS (PTFE), a synthetic fluoropolymer best known as Teflon,
and poisoning mostly results in sudden death. The main
Among the many different therapeutic classes of human
source of PTFE intoxication in pet birds is the overheat-
drugs, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, benzodiaze-
ing of nonstick cookware in the kitchen (Caekebeke et al.,
pines, and barbiturates are the most common contributors
2016).
to animal poisoning (Berny et al., 2010a). In the United
States several studies dealing with the ingestion of the
nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic drug zolpidem by dogs have TOXINS
been reported, which are now also increasing in Europe
(Caloni et al., 2014; Cortinovis et al., 2015b). In the Suspected toxin poisoning has been reported in compan-
United Kingdom, ingestion of hydroxycarbamide ion animals (phytotoxins and zootoxins), in food-
(hydroxyurea) tablets by a dog was associated with producing animals (phytotoxins and mycotoxins) and in
methemoglobinemia (Wray, 2008). Another well-known wild birds (botulism and cyanobacteria).