Veterinary Taxicology

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

Diagnosis

• Symptoms like colic, thirst, straining and purgation and vomiting occur suddenly. This might give a suspicion for some irritant poisoning like arsenic. Chronic poisoning is difficult to diagnose.

Treatment

• Induction of emesis.
• Gastric lavage with warm water.
• Enema in carnivores.
• Purgatives in ruminants.
• Use of demulcents to reduce irritation.
• Freshly prepared ferric hydroxide can be given but its use is doubtful.
• Sodium thiosulphate (hypo) can be given orally and intravenously.
  • Horse and cattle – 8 to 10 g as 10-20% solution i/v 20 to 30 g orally in about 300 ml of water.
• Dimercaprol (BAL-British Anti Lewisite)
  • Dimercaprol binds with arsenic-lipoic acid complex and forms arsenic-mercaptide complex. This complex is non-toxic and easily excreted from the body.
  • BAL is relatively ineffective unless given prior to onset of clinical symptoms. Overdosage of arsenic is common in horses and is known as ‘tying up’ in animals.
  • Water soluble BAL compounds like DMSA (Succimer) and DMPS (Unithiol) are found to be effective.
• Thioctic acid (lipoic acid) can also be administered.
• d-Penicillamine is also useful as a chelating agent.