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Our e-vet Dr Steve Merchant
answers some
of the many questions we've had on
Lead Poisoning
Anyone
suspecting lead poisoning in their pets should seek
veterinary attention for their pets immediately, and
also talk to their own health professional.
Lead
poisoning can have serious short term and long term
effects. Renovations on old houses with lead based
paint are a real source or lead contamination. Dogs
are even more prone if they chew on old bits of
painted would. I am not sure when paints dropped
their lead bases, but houses painted prior to this
can be a risk.
In
cats and dogs, the symptoms include gastrointestinal
[ diarrhoea, vomiting, weight loss ] , anaemias with
characteristic changes to red blood cells, and
neurological symptoms varying from behavioural
changes , strange behaviours, disorientation through
to convulsions and even death.
Once
fitting starts, the symptoms should not be ignored.
Treatment
involves chelation type agents which bond with and
draw lead from the system. Lead tends to hang around
in the body and bones for a long time so long term
treatment, often involving IV fluids and frequent
outpatient treatment are necessary.
Symptoms in pets should also act as a warning to all
people in the house to get checked. Dogs especially,
due to their chewing behaviours, are often the first
to be affected and can indicate the need to get all
the family checked, especially children.
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