This study evaluated the most common toxic agents affecting domestic cats, the clinical signs of toxicity, and the therapeutic approaches for recovery. A survey on poisoning in cats was conducted among small animal veterinary practitioners from 2017 to 2018. Of the 748 completed questionnaires, 543 (72.6%) were evaluated. Pesticides and household cleaning supplies were the most common causes of poisoning in cats. The toxicant groups included pesticides and household cleaning supplies (organophosphates), human drugs (acetaminophen), plants/plant derivatives (lily), and veterinary drugs (tramadol). The major clinical signs for these four groups of toxicants were (1) acetaminophen poisoning, which caused oxidative erythrocyte damage; (2) muscarinic and nicotinic cholinergic syndrome, which resulted from organophosphate poisoning; (3) acute kidney injury, which resulted from intoxication of lily; and (4) serotonin syndrome, which resulted from tramadol toxicosis. Interventions for treating poisoning in cats were based on the clinical presentation of animals. In the present study, the significant toxins identified to be dangerous for cats were characterized using the obtained data in Brazil as well as the main associated clinical signs and therapy recommended by veterinarians.

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ABSTRACT.-Santos A.M., Peixoto P.V., D' Ávila M.S., Peixoto T.C., França T.N., Costa S.Z.R., Cid G.C. & Nogueira V. A. 2016 Sodium monofluoroacetate (MF) is the toxic principle of several plants that cause "sudden death" of cattle in Brazil. Groups of cardiomyocites with high cytoplasmic eosinophilia are sometimes observed in animals poisoned by MF. However, this cardiac alteration is difficult to interpret, as there is no inflammatory reaction and it must be differentiated from artifacts. The present study had the objective to detect the presence of early regressive lesions in the myocardium of sheep and cattle experimentally poisoned by MF through immunohistochemistry with troponin C (cTnC). Fragments of the heart muscle from six cattle (three received, orally, single doses of 0.5mg/kg and the others, single doses of 1.0mg/ kg) and five sheep (one received, orally, single dose of 0.5mg/kg, the other two received single doses of 1.0mg/kg, one received sublethal daily doses of 0.1mg/kg for four days, and another received daily sublethal doses of 0.2mg/kg for six days) were submitted to immunohistochemistry with antibody anti-cTnC. In the cardiomyocites of cattle and sheep, it was possible to observe reduction of the expression levels for cTnC in the cytoplasm of groups of cardiac muscle fibers. Significant reduction of immunoreactivity ocurred overall in cardiomyocites that presented high cytoplasmic eosinophilia. The decrease or absence of expression for cTnC in animals poisoned by MF allowed to estabilish the difference between coagulative necrosis of cardiomyocites and artifacts caused by fixation. This indicates that this method can be used safely to identify any lesions, early regressive or not, in the myocardium independently of the cause. It is also possible to affirm that poisoning by MF as well as the one caused by "sudden death" causing plants can progress with necrotizing myocardial lesions.

This report described temporary hyperpigmentation occurring in a cat after use of the FreeStyle® Libre sensor by applying three different adhesive glues. The device was continuously used as an aid for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Histopathological examination revealed mild focal chronic active dermatitis. While the coat color change occurred due to inflammation and did not affect the device functioning, owners should be alerted to the possibility of this complication.

RESUMO: Descrevem-se, na pele de equídeos, lesões de natureza mecânico-traumática causadas por espinhos de Mimosa spp. Dentre as três espécies da planta identificadas como responsáveis pelas lesões, M. setosa estava presente em maior quantidade (80%) e M. debilis e M. pudica encontravam-se em menor proporção na pastagem. Ocorreram três surtos de dermatite ulcerativa em períodos chuvosos de abril a maio de 2013, dezembro de 2013 a fevereiro de 2014 e abril a maio deste mesmo ano. Vinte e cinco equinos do Setor de Reprodução Animal da Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro apresentaram, na pele, lesões ulcerativas com contornos irregulares, exsudato hemorrágico, recobertas por crostas. As lesões localizavam-se sobretudo nas regiões de quartela, boleto, articulação escapulo-umeral, lábios superior e inferior, focinho, narinas, bochechas e chanfro. Sete animais foram biopsiados e o exame histopatológico revelou ulceração da epiderme e infiltrado inflamatório constituído por macrófagos e neutrófilos, delimitado por tecido de granulação subjacente. Em alguns casos, foram observados microespículos das referidas plantas (tricomas hirsutos) em meio à reação inflamatória. O diagnóstico de dermatite cutânea causada pela ação traumática da planta baseou-se na presença de Mimosa spp. na pastagem, nas características e localização das lesões na pele dos equinos, nos achados histopatológicos e na recuperação após a retirada dos animais do pasto.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is characterized by irreversible morphostructural lesions that can progressively evolve to chronic renal insufficiency and kidney failure. It is known that the heart and kidneys are closely related, and that communication between these organs occurs through a variety of pathways; subtle physiological changes in one of them are compensated by the other. Histopathological cardiac evaluation through routine staining presents a limitation to identify specific or discreet lesions in the cardiomyocytes. This study aimed to evaluate serum troponin levels in cats with CKD, associated with clinical and pathological findings, as well as to correlate the morphostructural cardiac lesions to determine their distribution through macroscopic and histological assessments and anti-cardiac troponin C (cTnC) immunohistochemistry (IHC). To this end, 20 cats (18 diagnosed with CKD and two controls) were selected. Anti-human cTnC IHC was conducted after necropsy and separation in eight regions of each collected heart. Heart fragments from two cats without CKD were used as controls. The anti-human cTnC antibody is useful in detecting cardiac lesions and has shown decreased expression in cardiomyocytes of cats with CKD. Serum troponin was above the reference values in 11/18 (61.11%) animals and decreased expression for the cTnC antibody was observed in individual cardiomyocytes in 9/18 (50%) animals. It was verified that the number of regions with decreased expression for the cTnC antibody in cardiomyocytes is significantly correlated with serum troponin. The anti-human cTnC antibody has been found effective in detecting cardiac lesions and has shown decreased expression in the cardiomyocytes of cats with CKD. Correlation was observed between increased serum cTnI and loss of immunoreactivity at anti-cTnC antibody IHC in cats with CKD, which proves damage to cardiomyocytes secondary to kidney disease.

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