Lecture 1- Intro to vet toxicology

poison

a substance that is capable of causing illness or death of a living organism when introduced or absorbed

poisonous

(of a substance) causing or capable of causing death or illness if taken into the body

toxin

a poisonous substance that is a specific product of the metabolic activities of a living organism, is notably toxic when introduced into the tissues of another organism, and is typically capable of inducing antibody formation

toxic

(of a substance) containing or being poisonous material especially when capable of causing death or serious debilitation

toxicant

any toxic substance. Toxicants can be poisonous and they may be synthetic or naturally occurring. The different types of toxicants can be found in the air, soil, water, or food.

venom

a toxic substance produced by some animals (ex: snakes, scorpions, hymenopterans, cnidarians, many others) that is injected into prey or an enemy chiefly by biting or stinging and has an injurious or lethal effect broadly

if you bite it and you die it’s poison if it bites you and you die it’s venom

toxicosis

a pathological condition caused by the action of a poison / toxin

intoxication

the state of being intoxicated. In common use, this frequently refers to ethanol, but “intoxication” is not specific for a cause. In medical and scientific contexts, it’s best to specify the cause (ex: “ethanol intoxication,” “propofol intoxication,” “marijuana intoxication,” etc).

poisoning

 the action of administering poison to a living organism

toxicity

the quality of being toxic or poisonous

does natural = non toxic?

NO!

organic, non artificial does not mean anything safety wise

7 most deadly chemical substances

hazard

Something that has the potential to cause harm.

Includes an element of magnitude (ex: mild dermal irritation vs melanoma)

Could be physical trauma, chemical effect, infection, neoplasia, etc.

risk

The likelihood that a hazard will cause harm.

Includes an element of probability (1 in 100,000? Over what timeframe?)

Hazard x Probability = Risk

risk assessment

The systematic process of identifying, analyzing, and evaluating

potential hazards or risks that could cause harm, determining if the risk is

tolerable, and if not, what could be done to reduce or eliminate it.

hazard vs risk

what is step one of toxicology analysis and what is it based on

step 1: list the toxicological differentials

• signalment

• history

• clinical signs

  • other diagnostic information

T/F a toxic etiology being on your differential list means it’s the cause

false

what is step 2 of toxicology analysis

obtain appropriate samples

• different toxins detectable in different matrices

• when in doubt save it

step 3 of toxicology analysis

determine appropriate extraction technique

• "Making colorful solids into clear liquids“

• Clinician generally doesn’t do this – done with help of your D-lab team.

• BUT they rely on YOU to collect, handle, and preserve the necessary samples.

step 4 of toxicology analysis

determine appropriate analysis

• also genrally a D- lab decision

step 5 toxicology analysis

interpret results

• qualitative vs quantitative

• clinical significance

many toxicological diagnoses are based on

history

analysis is often ________ rather than diagnostic

confirmatory

when is history especially important

if illicit drug or alcohol toxicosis is suspected

baseline diagnostics

CBC, serum chemistry

+/- Urinalysis, +/- Coagulation profile

Radiographs, ultrasound, etc.

when do you normally perform baseline diagnostics

before specific toxicological testing

sample collection for analysis

1. history

2. examination

3. baseline diagnostics

   1. environmental exam

what is the DAMNIT mnemonic

what should you collect antemortem sampling

everything you can easily reach in the live animal

•Blood

•Whole blood and serum

•Please spin and separate serum!

•Urine

•Feces

•Vomit/gastric lavage

•Hair in cases of topical exposure

what to collect postmortem sampling

EVERYTHING and lots of it