Lead paint in old homes is a danger to pets, too
By Dr. Tim Dietrick Q. I just moved into an older house. I was concerned about the lead paint and my pets. Is it toxic to them?
A. Environmental lead is indeed toxic to animals. Lead toxicity is mainly seen in dogs. Cats are rarely poisoned by lead because they are selective eaters and rarely chew on non-food items. Dogs, on the other hand, especially puppies, will chew on anything they can get into their mouths.
The main source of lead poisoning in dogs comes from paints containing lead salts, especially in homes built prior to 1950. Puppies will chew at the walls and ingest the paint. Lead salt is very palatable making it attractive to dogs. Over a short period of time enough lead can be ingested to cause toxicity. Lead is quickly absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract and distributed throughout the body. Fortunately, due to governmental controls, there is less lead-containing paint available today and a subsequent decrease in the number of cases seen each year.
Other sources of lead are batteries, water from lead pipes, fishing sinkers and drapery weights.
Clinical signs usually manifest as both gastrointestinal and neurological problems. Gastrointestinal signs occur first and include vomiting, abdominal pain, tense abdomen and loss of appetite. Neurological signs usually occur a few days after gastrointestinal problems and include seizures, barking at the air or inanimate objects, crying and roaming aimlessly.
If your pet is exhibiting the gastrointestinal signs for more than one day your veterinarian should examine her as soon as possible. The prognosis is greatly improved if lead toxicity is discovered prior to occurrence of neurological signs. Diagnosis is usually based on blood work and blood lead levels. Radiographs are taken to determine if there is lead in the gastrointestinal tract.
The main goal of therapy is to remove the lead from the GI tract and the rest of the body. Lead is removed from the GI tract by inducing vomiting and administering cathartics that move material quickly through the intestines. Surgery is sometimes necessary to remove lead objects from the GI tract.
Moderate to severe cases require hospitalization, intravenous fluids and seizure management for several days. Chelating agents are administered to bind the lead, which is eventually excreted through the urine. Chelating therapy may last from 10 days to three weeks depending on how much lead was ingested. Therapy is discontinued once blood lead levels are at or below normal.
Often there is dramatic improvement within a couple of days of initiating chelating therapy. The prognosis is excellent for treated dogs, especially ones that have not exhibited any neurological signs. As with most illnesses, the quicker therapy is initiated the better the chance for a full recovery.
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Q. My puppy likes to chew on everything. I found him chewing on an electrical cord the other day. Is this dangerous?
A. Chewing on electrical cords is a dangerous habit. The electrical charge delivered if your puppy bites through the cord can be fatal. The problem is usually seen in puppies and young dogs that are in the habit of chewing on anything available.
Initially, your puppy may appear normal with only some burn marks on his tongue or lips. The real problems may not become apparent for one to two days. Pulmonary edema, where the lungs fill with fluid, is the most common result of puppies' receiving an electrical charge in their mouths. The most common clinical sign is labored breathing, which may be followed by seizures. These puppies are in trouble and need to be examined by your veterinarian immediately.
Blood work and radiographs are taken initially to assess the amount of damage that has occurred. Followup blood work and radiographs are performed over several days to measure the response to therapy.
Treatment involves hospitalization and intense therapy to manage pulmonary edema. Diuretics are administered to remove fluid from the lungs. Bronchodilators are given to open up the airways, which improve oxygen uptake. The most important aspect of treatment is oxygen therapy that requires either an oxygen cage or intranasal oxygen over several days.
The prognosis for survival is poor especially if your pet receives a prolonged jolt of electricity. Immediate examination and treatment are crucial to improving your puppies' chances for survival. Sadly, in some cases the injured puppy may not survive no matter what is done to help them.
Prevention is the best treatment and is accomplished by several ways. Puppies should be crated when owners are away and should not have unsupervised run of the house. Always keep a watchful eye on your pet because accidents can happen in an instant. Train puppies not to chew on inappropriate objects. If possible, cover all exposed electrical cords within your pets' reach or spray them with agents such as bitter apple to discourage chewing.
(C) 2010 Richmond Times-Dispatch. via ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved
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