Systematic account of animal poisonings in Germany, 2012-2015.
Authors: McFarland S E, Mischke R H, Hopster-Iversen C, von Krueger X, Ammer H, Potschka H, Stürer A, Begemann K, Desel H, Greiner M
Journal: The Veterinary record
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Poisoning Incidents in German Animals (2012–2015) Between 2012 and 2015, McFarland and colleagues conducted a comprehensive retrospective analysis of animal poisoning cases across Germany by consolidating data from four major sources: poison centre exposure calls, presentations to the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover's small animal and equine clinics, off-label veterinary pharmaceutical reports submitted to federal authorities, and toxicological submissions to Ludwig-Maximilians-University's Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology. Whilst poisoning patterns varied considerably across the datasets, dogs and cats consistently dominated reported cases, with medicinal products, pesticides and plants emerging as the three most frequently implicated substance categories across all four years. A critical finding was that each data source carried inherent biases—for instance, poison centre calls likely overrepresent acute exposures in small animals, whilst equine clinic data may skew towards cases severe enough to warrant referral—meaning no single source provides a complete epidemiological picture. For equine professionals, this highlights the importance of recognising that published poisoning statistics reflect reporting patterns as much as true incidence; your own clinical experience and local exposure patterns may differ significantly from national trends. The authors' call for standardised, integrated poisoning surveillance could ultimately improve early identification of emerging toxicological threats affecting horses and allow more targeted client education around genuine risks in your region.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Equine practitioners should be aware that medicinal products, pesticides, and plants represent the most common poisoning causes in Germany; maintaining vigilance for these exposures can improve diagnostic outcomes
- •When consulting poisoning databases or collaborating with poison centres, understand that data collection methods and source biases significantly affect reported poisoning patterns and case severity assessments
- •Standardised approaches to poisoning data collection and reporting across veterinary facilities would improve the quality of poisoning surveillance and enable better identification of emerging toxicological threats
Key Findings
- •Dogs and cats were the most frequently reported species affected by poisoning cases in Germany during 2012-2015
- •Medicinal products, pesticides, and plants were consistently the top three causes of poisoning across the study period
- •Significant variation in poisoning patterns was observed, with bias identified as an important consideration when evaluating poisoning data from multiple sources
- •Multiple data sources (poison centres, veterinary clinics, regulatory reports, toxicological submissions) each had distinct advantages and disadvantages for poisoning surveillance