Special Veterinary Pathology

ORGANIC ARSENICALS

Sources of  poisoning

• Toxicosis results from an excess of arsenic containing additives in pig or poultry diets

Clinical signs

• In pigs, the earliest signs of toxicity may be reduction in weight gain, followed by incoordination, posterior paralysis and eventually quadriplegia.
• The affected animals remain alert and retain good appetite.
• Blindness is characteristic of arsinilic acid intoxication and not of other arsenicals.
• In ruminants, phenylarsonic toxicosis is similar to inorganic arsenic poisoning.

Post - mortem lesions

• Usually there are no specific lesions present in phenylarsonic poisoning.
• Demyelination and gliosis of peripheral nerves, optic tract and optic nerves are usually seen on histopathology.

Diagnosis

• History
• Clinical signs – Neurotoxic symptoms
• Post-mortem lesions particularly peripheral nerves.

Analysis of liver and kidney cortex of affected animals and feed for arsenic may confirm the poisoning.