These experiments were undertaken in order to find out the useful clinicopathological diagnostic methods of cadmium poisoning in dogs. Twenty-one dogs were divided into a control group and 6 experimental groups. The experimental groups were adminstered orally 5, 10, 15, 30, 60 and 120㎎ of cadmium per kg of body weight for 56 days. All dogs were examined for clinical signs, and weekly changes in hematological and blood chemical values.
All dogs were necropsied on 57th days of experiment. Tissue samples including hair, skin, muscle, lung, liver, kidney, spleen, pancreas, testis, ovary, uterus, and bone were collected and analyzed for cadmium, zinc, iron and copper contents using atomic absorption spectrophotometer.
From these experiments following results were obtained :
1. All experimental dogs showed vomitting, salivation, anorexia, decreased water-intake, dehydration, and marked weight loss. The dogs received 30㎎/㎏ or more of cadmium died during the period from 2nd to 7th week after administration.
2. Hematologically, all experimental dogs showed decrease in erythrocyte count, hemoglobin concentration, and packed cell volume. The anemia was identified as normocytic and regenerative morphologically.
3. No significant differences in serum glutamic oxaloacetic transminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, blood urea nitrogen, and cholosterol value were obseved between the control and experimental dogs.
4. The cadmium contents in various tissues of experimental dogs were estimated as 37.8∼201.8㎍/g in bone, 14.1∼49.5㎍/g in liver, 13.2∼53.1㎍/g in kidney, 0.4∼35.2㎍/g in pancreas, 0.8∼35.4㎍/g in spleen, 0.9∼30.1㎍/g in hair, 0∼7.l㎍/g in lung, 0∼5.l㎍/g in skin, and 0∼3.6㎍/g in muscle, respectively.
However, the serum, testis, ovary and uterus showed no cadmium accumulation. Two contol dogs showed cadmium accumulation only in bone.
5. Significant differances in zinc, iron, and copper contents in tissue samples were observed between the control and experimental groups.
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