DefinePK

Abstract

Heavy metal toxicity in canines represents a growing concern in veterinary toxicology, driven by increased environmental contamination from industrial, agricultural, and domestic sources. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the toxicological effects of lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic on canine health, emphasizing exposure routes, clinical manifestations, diagnostic strategies, and treatment protocols. Results indicate that dogs encounter contaminated food and water as their primary exposure route yet lead stands out as the dominant accumulated heavy metal found in dog tissues. Code signs from nervous system and digestive tract illnesses occurred among dogs exposed to every metal tested together with tissue-specific symptoms that differed depending on the metal. Standard diagnostic tools in blood and urine produce average sensitivity rate yet atomic absorption spectrometry and ICP-MS systems deliver precise results required to identify long-term or chronic exposure. Data from reviewed cases showed that chelation using dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) and EDTA successfully removed lead and arsenic from patients with success rates greater than 80%. The recovery process required fluid treatments combined with nutritional interventions for managing complications and achieving better outcomes. Plot lines demonstrate how heavy metals accumulate within bodies and when symptoms manifest as well as treatment measurement timescales and testing frequency alongside tables which summarize exposure risks and diagnostic tracking results and treatment evaluation. Heavy metal toxicity in dogs needs simultaneous diagnostic methods with therapeutic solutions and active environmental observations to also build stronger veterinary-environmental health partnerships. Long-term environmental risks from heavy metal contamination in companion animals require continued investigation using One Health research approaches..