Note: If you are reading this because you think your dog ingested arsenic, stop reading and get him to the veterinarian as soon as possible!
For anyone who has seen the 1944 Cary Grant movie Arsenic and Old Lace, the poison might hold a certain romantic flair, but it is nothing like the awful reality of arsenic poisoning. In reality, acute arsenic poisoning causes vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, abdominal pain, drooling, retching, staggering, convulsions, and muscle weakness before the victim collapses and dies. Notable figures like Napoleon Bonaparte, American explorer Charles Francis Hall, and the racehorse Phar Lap all succumbed to arsenic poisoning. Many Impressionist painters also developed toxic levels of arsenic in their systems from the Emerald Green pigment, which contains arsenic. Researchers now believe that Monet’s blindness and Van Gogh’s neurological disorders may be related to their use of this pigment.
Arsenic was once the main ingredient in ant and roach bait, leading to frequent accidental poisonings in domestic animals and children. In 1989, the federal government mandated the gradual reduction of arsenic in common household products, resulting in fewer acute arsenic poisonings in domestic animals.
Symptoms of arsenic poisoning include:
In most cases, the diagnosis of arsenic poisoning is made when someone witnesses the animal ingesting the poison. Thankfully, the initial symptom of arsenic poisoning is vomiting, which helps expel any undigested toxin from the stomach. Liver and kidney damage caused by the toxin is usually the cause of death, although animals that ingest only small amounts of arsenic often respond well to treatment.
Diagnosing Arsenic Poisoning in Dogs
Diagnosis can be difficult in acute cases. Long-term arsenic exposure accumulates in the hair and fingernails, allowing for diagnosis by testing samples. However, this is rarely done for domestic animals. A urine sample or testing the stomach contents can confirm arsenic ingestion, but results often take too long to be useful in urgent situations.
Lethal doses of arsenic vary, typically between one and twelve mg per pound of body weight. Symptoms usually develop within 30 minutes of ingestion.
Most often, veterinarians rely on the pet owner’s observation—such as the animal ingesting old roach poison—and the symptoms the pet is displaying. Since heartworm treatment (but not preventive medication) contains arsenic, this is now the most common cause of arsenic poisoning in pets. If a pet is under a veterinarian’s care for heartworm treatment, it is important to inform the attending vet.
Other tests can include a CBC (complete blood count), which may come back as normal, and a broad-spectrum biochemical panel. This can show a mild increase in liver enzymes for low-dose poisoning and indicate kidney failure and liver damage in severe cases.
Treatment focuses on expelling as much of the poison as possible and supporting the organs affected by the arsenic.
Unless the animal vomits on its own shortly after ingesting the poison, inducing vomiting is not recommended because arsenic weakens the stomach walls. Instead, the veterinarian will pump the stomach. Unfortunately, in cases of heavy metal poisoning, activated charcoal is not effective, so it will not be used unless there is still doubt about the nature of the poison.
Intravenous fluids are given for two main reasons: to help expel the arsenic through the urine more quickly and to reduce kidney and liver damage by keeping these organs well hydrated.
Depending on the severity of the poisoning, antibiotics, anti-emetics, vitamin B, and blood transfusions may be administered. Within 48 hours, the arsenic should be excreted through the kidneys and urine, and the pet can be discharged to go home. Post-hospitalization care includes a bland diet until the digestive system heals, along with antibiotics and stomach protectants, as prescribed by the veterinarian.
Although acute arsenic poisonings are less common today, exposure to insecticides, herbicides, pesticides, insulation, wood preservatives, paint pigments, and detergents can lead to arsenic accumulation in both animals and humans.
2 Responses
I understand all of this but what I’m trying to understand is how long would it take for the dog in a case of arsenic poisoning to regain their strength or if they’re permanently damaged
I have a dog now that may have this form of poison thrown over the fence. The smell of garlic when the powder was wet, very strong, It has now been a month, she is blind, but can now hear again, but her brain is not communicating correctly with the rest of her body…. You may know what I mean! We have had a very painful, difficult time, but she is trying to live and move on , I can not give up on her. What was your outcome, is there recovery…. Please contact me I’m so at need of advice and experienced people.