Pine processionary caterpillar Thaumetopoea pityocampa envenomation in 11 cats: a retrospective study

Zootoxins and Domestic Animals: A European View

Zootoxins are produced by venomous and poisonous species and are an important cause of poisoning in companion animals and livestock in Europe. Little information about the incidence of zootoxin poisoning is available in Europe, with only a few case reports and review papers being published. This review presents the most important zootoxins produced by European venomous and poisonous animal species responsible for poisoning episodes in companion animals and livestock. The main zootoxin-producing animal species, components of the toxins/venoms and their clinical effects are presented. The most common zootoxicoses involve terrestrial zootoxins excreted by the common toad, the fire salamander, the pine processionary caterpillar, and vipers. The lack of a centralized reporting/poison control system in Europe makes the evaluation of the epidemiology of zootoxin-induced poisonings extremely difficult. Even if there are many anecdotal reports in the veterinary community about the exposure of domestic animals to terrestrial and marine zootoxins, the number of published papers regarding these toxicoses is low. Climate change and its consequences regarding species distribution and human-mediated transportation are responsible for the emerging nature of some intoxications in which zootoxins are involved. Although new venomous or poisonous animal species have emerged in regions where they were previously unreported, zootoxins produced by native species remain the main concern in Europe. The diversity of poisonous and venomous animal species and the emerging nature of certain poisonings warrant the continuous update to such knowledge by veterinary professionals and animal owners. This review offers an overview about zootoxin-related poisonings in domestic animals in Europe and also provides important information from a health perspective.

Suspect severe gastroenteritis associated with ingestion of caterpillar setae fragments in a cat

A 6-month-old male neutered Domestic Shorthair cat was assessed for a 24-h history of anorexia, lethargy, depressed mentation, mild abdominal pain and persistent bradycardia. Abdominal ultrasound revealed marked thickening of the gastric wall, gastric distension, free abdominal fluid, distension and corrugation of the small intestine. Full-thickness histopathological biopsy of the gastric wall demonstrated intralesional chitinous structures whose morphology (size and presence of obvious barbs) supports these structures being urticating hairs (setae). A processionary caterpillar is considered most likely as these are the most common urticating caterpillars in Australia. This is the first case of suspected severe gastroenteritis associated with the ingestion of caterpillar setae fragments in a cat.

Plants and zootoxins: Toxico-epidemiological investigation in domestic animals

An epidemiological study on animal poisoning due to plants and zootoxins has been carried out by the Poison Control Centre of Milan (CAV) in collaboration with the University of Milan (Italy). During the period January 2015-March 2019, the CAV received 932 calls on animal poisonings, 12.66% (n = 118) of which were related to plants and zootoxins. Among these, 95 enquiries (80.51%) concerned exposures to plants and 23 (19.49%) to zootoxins. The dog was the species most frequently involved (67.80% of the calls, n = 80), followed by the cat (26.27%, n = 31). As for the plants, several poisoning episodes were related to glycoside-, alkaloid-, oxalate- and diterpenoid-containing species. Cycas revoluta, Euphorbia pulcherrima and Hydrangea macrophylla were the most often reported plants. The outcome has been reported for half of the episodes (51.58%, n = 49) and it was fatal for 3 animals (6.12%). Regarding the zootoxins, the majority of the enquiries were related to asp viper (Vipera aspis), but exposures to pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa), common toad (Bufo), fire salamander (Salamandra), and jellyfish (phylum Cnidaria) were also reported. The outcome was known in 65.22% of the cases with just one fatal episode. This epidemiological investigation depicts an interesting overview on the issue of plant and zootoxin exposures in domestic animals, highlighting the relevance of these agents as causes of animal poisoning and providing useful information for prevention and diagnosis.