by M Jayne

Created on: May 20, 2010   Last Updated: May 21, 2010

Dog wellness advice on the chat today is with regards to lead poisoning in pets. Lead toxicity or lead poisoning is medically known as Plumbism, and refers to poisoning due to ingestion or inhalation of products containing lead. When lead based paint is on the walls its fine, but when it is disturbed, causing dust and chips of paint to fall to the ground, this is where the problem starts. Dogs especially will ingest pieces of paint - particularly puppies. The dust from the moving and scraping of the paint settles in the pet’s fur and between his toes as well as is inhaled through his nose.  This is one of the more common causes of lead poisoning in dogs, when a home is renovated or newly painted. 

Paint produced prior to 1977 contained high levels of lead and some companies today are still using this paint on children and pet products.  Although the Consumer Product Safety Commission checks the safety of all toys for humans and enforces a federal standard for lead in paint for children's toys, there is not an organization that regularly tests animal toys nor is there a standard for lead in pet toys.  So pet owners need to be vigilant in ensuring their pets are out of harms way when renovating their home. However it isn't just paint that can cause lead poisoning in dogs or other pets.

Lead poisoning or lead toxicity can come from the following;

1. Paint, or the disturbance of paint due to re painting or renovations

2. Lead weights used as sinkers on fishing poles

3. Lead pellets and shot for use in guns

4. Household items such as drapery weights, linoleum, rug padding, and foil from the tops of wine bottles

5. Automotive parts such as batteries, wheel weights, leaded gasoline and discarded oil from cars using leaded gasoline

6. Construction materials such as solder, putty and caulking

7. Plumbing and roofing materials

Puppies are more likely to ingest materials containing lead because of their chewing, playful nature and their need to get into just about everything.

Dogs are more likely than cats to eat lead containing objects and younger animals absorb larger amounts of lead than older animals. In pregnant animals the babies are affected because lead crosses the placenta and is excreted in the mother's milk, causing the fetus to be effected.

Lead poisoning in dogs can cause gastrointestinal problems such as vomiting and diarrhea.  It can cause anemia and seizures, and suppress the immune system.  Basically if your dog or

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