Evaluation of the main poisonings in dogs in the period 2005-2015. Focus on the prevalence, clinical-pathologic findings and neurological signs.

Objectives: To evaluate the cases of poisoning in dogs in 15 years of activity of a 24h veterinary clinic (San Marco Clinic) located in Padua, north Italy. To assess if the neurologic signs, laboratory findings and survival rate found in poisoned dogs are different from those in a control canine population.Materials methods: The diagnosis was based on clinical data, hemato-biochemical and coagulation analysis and confirmed by UPLC/MS-MS. The statistical analysis (poisoned vs control population) was evaluated by Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test. Results Conclusion: 527/57878 (0.9%) have been assessed as poisoned dogs. The most frequent toxics detected were anticoagulant rodenticides, organophosphates (OP) and metaldehyde (MET) (54.8%, 33.0 and 9.5%, respectively). These two latter intoxications showed neurological signs for 55.2 and 98%, respectively. Interestingly, while seizure, tremors, diarrhea and salivation were found statistically more frequent in the OP poisoned dogs if compared to control population, vomit did not. In addition, OP intoxication showed a significant increase of parameters as red blood cell (RBC), reticulocyte, creatine phosphokinase (CPK), Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST), Amylase and Lipase while a decrease of Butyrylcholinesterase enzyme. Concerning MET only seizure, tremors, and vomit were statistically more frequent in the poisoned dogs. In addition, MET intoxication showed a significant increase of parameters as RBC, reticulocyte, CPK, AST, lactate and sodium. No statistical significance was found in the survival rate of OP (82.6%) and MET (95.9%) groups when compared to the respective control population. The present findings highlight as an integrated evaluation (clinical, laboratory, analytical) is pivotal both to diagnose and to approach a correct therapy in poisoned dogs.