Being confronted by a dog or cat which has ingested poison can be quite daunting, especially for those who have taken the phone call, so knowing and understanding the resources available to best manage these cases is vital. ‘The Webinar Vet’ organised for Nick Carmichael, an RCVS Recognized Specialist in Clinical Pathology, to lead a veterinary webinar discussing the available resources necessary to deal with any case of poisoning in pets.

Nick emphasised that managing these cases starts at the front desk, with reception staff often taking the initial phone call from a client. It is imperative that as much information is obtained prior to contacting the veterinary poisons information service (VPIS) so they can offer the best advice for that individual case. The VPIS has produced a ‘poisons’ check list which helps to guide a member of staff through all the necessary questions helping to provide relevant and useful information.

The VPIS, with its extensive network of information, was one of three resources Nick deemed essential for every practice dealing with cases of poisonings. The second resource was access to the 24 hour Tox Box where the VPIS has teamed up with Vets Now to provide all veterinary practices with ‘round the clock’ access to the drugs necessary to treat specific poisons, including European viper venom antiserum, methocarbamol for the treatment of metaldehyde and acetyl cysteine for paracetamol toxicity.

The third resource cited by Nick is ensuring a practice has access to toxicology testing. Determining the toxin can be very useful as it helps to provide a prognosis for the affected animal and optimises its therapeutic management. Unfortunately trying to identify the causal agent can be like ‘looking for a need in a haystack’  but according to Nick, gas chromatography- mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is now the mainstay for detecting specific drugs and is an excellent ‘haystack sifter’. GC-MS works by extracting toxins dissolved in solvent which are then vapourised and separated by gas chromatography and then identified by mass spectrometry. This technique is highly specific and can detect a wide range of compounds.

A number of sample types can be used including blood, urine and stomach contents (faecus is not appropriate for GC-MS). Nick strongly advises taking multiple sample types as early as possible as we know there are certain toxins which will have been cleared from the body within a few hours of ingesting the poison. These samples should be labelled, dated and stored (freezing these samples is fine). A list of differentials should be considered for each case and, as stated previously, it is always wise to seek advice from the lab on the likelihood of certain toxins being detected, and from which samples.

This was yet another interesting and informative veterinary webinar organised by ‘The Webinar Vet’ and we are lucky to have access to such great resources including the VPIS, Tox Box and the expertise provided to us by external laboratories. By using these services we surely stand the best chance of ensuring these cases make a full and speedy recovery.