Sources of information on small animal poisoning

Kućni ljubimci svakodnevno su izloženi raznim otrovima ili potencijalno otrovnim tvarima, ponajprije rodenticidima, pesticidima, humanim i veterinarskim lijekovima te hrani koja može biti toksična za njih, unesenim u organizam ingestijom ili putem kože. Kada vlasnik posumnja na otrovanje svog kućnog ljubimca, najprije treba potražiti pomoć od veterinara. Ako to nije u mogućnosti, za pomoć se može obratiti centru za kontrolu otrovanja ili pronaći podatke o otrovanju u primarnim, sekundarnim i tercijarnim izvorima informacija. Primarne izvore informacija čine časopisi, odnosno radovi objavljeni u njima, koji pružaju najnovije informacije i opise istraživanja. Sekundarni izvori kompiliraju primarne, a u veterinarskoj se medicini najčešće koriste MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus te VJ Indeks. U tercijarne izvore informacija spadaju udžbenici, računalne baze podataka te internetski izvori. Udžbenici sadrže sažete preglede tema iz različitih područja, dok baze podataka i internetski izvori omogućuju brz pristup najnovijim informacijama. Prednosti i mane ovih izvora navedene su u radu. Centri za kontrolu otrovanja pružaju stručne informacije važne za terapiju otrovanih ljudi i životinja. U njima radi tim specijaliziranih toksikologa, farmaceuta, medicinskih sestara, veterinarskih tehničara te doktora veterinarske medicine. Najpoznatiji svjetski centri za kontrolu otrovanja životinja su ASPCA APCC, PPH te VPIS. Na njihovim web stranicama opisani su i slučajevi iz prakse, pr. otrovanje psa gljivom (Amanita bisporigera), otrovanje psa vitaminom D (Dovonex®) te mačke ljiljanom (Lilium). U Republici Hrvatskoj postoji Centar za kontrolu otrovanja ljudi koji godišnje zaprimi 10 do 20 poziva vezanih uz otrovanje životinja, no potrebno im je više vremena da obrade takav slučaj i pristupe veterinarskim izvorima i referencama.Pets are exposed to various poisonous supstances or potentially toxic matter on a daily basis, primarily rodenticydes, pesticides, human and veterinary medications and nutrients that can be toxic for them if they ingest them or absorb them through the skin. When an owner suspects that his pet is poisoned he should first seek out a veterinarian for help. If he can't see a veterinarian, he can reach out to poison control center or find information regarding his pet's poisoning in primary, secondary or tertiary literature. Primary literature is consisted of journals and scientific papers that are published in these journals that provide the latest information and research descriptions. Secondary literature is compiled out of primary sources and in veterinary medicine the most commonly used are: MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus and VJ Indeks. Tertiary literature is consisted of textbooks, computer databases and internet sources. Textbooks contain brief subject descriptions across different fields of study, while databases and internet sources enable the user quick access to the latest information. Pros and cons of these sources are listed in the paper. Poison control centers provide expert infomation important for treatment of people and animals affected by poisonous substances. Their personnel consists of teams of specialized toxicologists, pharmacists, nurses, veterinary technicians and doctors of veterinary medicine. Leading global animal poison control centers are ASPCA, APCC, PPH and VPIS. Their official websites contain detailed practical case descriptions e.g. dog fungal poisoning case (Amanita bisporigera), dog vitamin D poisoning case (Dovonex®) and cat lily poisoning (Lilium). Most similar to these centers in Croatia is Poison Control Centre for people that receives up to 10 to 20 call annually regarding animal poisoning, but they need more time to process such a case and to access veterinary references and sources of information