Role of pathology in diagnosis

All intoxications do not result in gross or histopathological lesions in tissues of exposed animals. Hence the pathological findings should be correlated and interpreted in terms of case history, clinical signs, and chemical analysis of the body fluids or ingesta. Gross and histopathological examinations of the tissues along with ancillary testing help to attain a conclusive diagnosis and also rule out other etiologies. This chapter covers the pathological lesions observed in domestic animals, which are exposed to common toxins/chemicals. It is divided into nine sections that comprise Drugs, Feed and Food Materials, Gases, Minerals and Metals, Mycotoxins, Plants, Pesticides, Miscellaneous, and Zootoxins. Felines are highly sensitive to toxicity for certain drugs as they are deficient in certain types of glucuronyl transferase. The common drugs to which cats are susceptible to toxicity include aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and preparations containing caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline. Several drugs are reported to cause idiosyncratic reactions in different species of domestic animals, and the specific pathogenesis is not known. This chapter covers the common drugs that are used in veterinary medicine and induce adverse reactions in domestic animals with histopathological changes.