Poisons or toxicants are those substances capable of causing injurious effects to living organisms. No truly harmless substance exists and a multitude of factors may interrelate to allow a substance to cause problems. Introduction Progress can be made in reducing the incidence of companion animal poisoning through education. Poisons may gain access to the body through a variety of routes including direct contact with the skin and eyes, ingestion or inhalation. Toxins may cause localized effects only or, in most instances, have a diversity of effects due to wide distribution in the body.
Mechanisms exist to metabolize, detoxify and excrete toxins.
The digestive tract, liver, kidney and lung play major roles in these functions. It is the injury toxins cause to these organs and others that lead to the clinical signs of illness. Diagnosis Rarely are the signs of illness associated with poisoning specific to be diagnostic. A tentative diagnosis of poisoning may be made, however, if an animal's history, exposure potential and clinical signs of illness are consistent with poisoning. Definitive diagnosis may require laboratory testing.