Metallic irritants

• Zinc is an important mineral required for a number of functions involving energy and metabolism.
• Found in many  industrial applications, such as in paints, cleaners, solvents, and other construction materials.
• Present  in rubber, varnish, dyes, and rust-proofing agents.
• primarity a problem in Young puppies and horses.
• Overconsumption of zinc supplements can also cause zinc poisoning.
• Zinc toxicity interferes with normal copper absorption.

Signs And Symptoms:

• convulsions and seizures
• Fever, aches and pains, flu like illness.
• Shock, fainting, A persistent taste of metal.
• Inability to urinate, rash, low blood pressure, vomiting.
• GI pain and  respiratory distress.
• enlarged joints, lameness, cartilage defects.

1. Metal fume  fever  which  is  a self-limiting  influenza like  syndrome is caused most commonly by zinc.
2. Acute  exposure  to  Fumes of zinc oxide (ZnO)  during  heating  galvanized metal.
3. Meat wrappers Asthma is a syndrome of fever,chills, malaise, wheezing. It occurs in meat industry due to polymer (fluoropolymers) fume.
4. Temperature  returns  to  normal with  sweating  and  chills,  simulating  malaria.
5. Symptomatic  Treatment:  Complete recovery with  Paracetamol.

Cadmium                                                   

Cadmium  causes :

• Itai-Itai’  disease.
• Proximal  tubular  necrosis.
• Osteomalacia,  bone  pain, pathological  fractures.
• Golden  yellow  staining  of  teeth.
• Emphysema  and  anemia.

Copper

Copper  as  a  metal is  not poisonous.  Poisonous  salts  of  copper  are

1. copper  subacetate  (fatal  dose  is  15  gm),  and
2. copper  sulphate  (fatal dose  is  30  gm).
3. Fatal period  with copper  salts  is  1-3  days
4. EDTA and Succimer can be used in copper poisoning.
5. Potassium ferrocyanide is antidote.
6. Cu toxicity is Caused by accumulation in liver, Stress causes mobilization of Cu stores thus causing severe hepatocellular necrosis; hemolysis.
7. common in sheep 

Signs and symptoms: