![]() Short-term exposure (hours) to high levels of metallic mercury vapor in the air can damage the lining of the mouth and irritate the lungs and airways, causing tightness of the chest, a burning sensation in the lungs, and coughing. Elemental mercury is not well absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract and, therefore, when ingested, is only mildly toxic. Elemental mercury as a vapor can penetrate the central nervous system, where it is ionized and trapped, attributing to its significant toxic effects. Small amounts of non-oxidized elemental mercury continue to persist and account for central nervous system toxicity. Once it is inhaled, elemental mercury mostly converts to an inorganic divalent or mercuric form by catalase in the erythrocytes. Its lipid-soluble property allows for easy passage through the alveoli into the bloodstream and red blood cells. Mercury poisoning can result from vapor inhalation, ingestion, injection, or absorption through the skin.Įlemental mercury can be in liquid form, which easily vaporizes at room temperature and is well absorbed (80 percent) through inhalation. There is a difference, however, in how it is absorbed, the clinical signs and symptoms, and the response to treatment modalities. High mercury exposure results in permanent nervous system and kidney damage. Organic mercury can be found in long and short alkyl and aryl compounds. The inorganic form can be further divided into elemental mercury and mercuric salts. It is found in organic and inorganic forms. Mercury is naturally occurring and is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature. Report Abuse & Fraud Report Abuse & Fraud sub-navigation.Public Health Public Health sub-navigation.Programs & Services Programs & Services sub-navigation.For additional information on cleaning up mercury follow the EPA advice. You should also thoroughly wash and clean anything else the mercury contacted and any areas your pet contacted after the mercury exposure. Once you finish getting all the mercury off, contact their vet and the poison control hotline to ensure that your dog gets the treatment that they need. Start by washing your dog’s feet before moving on to washing their fur. Therefore, you need to do everything in your power to clean off your pet as soon as possible (while keeping yourself safe). It’s important to note that some of the most harmful side effects of mercury poisoning in dogs come from the vapors. Sometimes despite all our best efforts, something happens and your pet ends up near mercury. What to Do If Your Pet Was Near Spilled Mercury Don’t wait until symptoms present or worsen, as the damage is sometimes irreversible. We also recommend immediately calling the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. If you suspect that your dog has mercury poisoning or if your dog was around mercury, we highly recommend taking them to a vet as soon as possible to ensure that they get the treatment that they need. Image Credit By: SasaStock, Shutterstock What to Do If Your Dog Has Mercury Poisoning Tuna has a high mercury content, and while a small amount of tuna won’t hurt them, if they eat it in large quantities, it can lead to problems. Perhaps the most common thing that your dog will get into is the light-up shoes, and those are something that most people don’t think of having mercury.Īnother way that your dog can get too much mercury is if you’re feeding them large amounts of tuna. Common things that have mercury include certain paints, fluorescent light bulbs, certain batteries, glass thermometers, and even light-up kid shoes. The first way is that your dog ingests something with mercury in it or if you accidentally break something with mercury near or on your pet. There are a few different ways that this harmful chemical can get into your dog’s system. Now that you know a dog can get mercury poisoning, it’s time to dive into how. It’s a chemical that’s dangerous to both humans and animals, and it might surprise you how many places it can be found.Ī dog can certainly get mercury poisoning, and it’s more likely and common than you might think. That’s why we want to highlight one of those dangerous chemicals here: mercury. There are many chemicals out there that can lead to health issues with your pet, and you can often find these dangerous chemicals in surprising and unsuspecting places. The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.
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