Poisoning of animals by organic arsenic compounds
Description
Phenylarsonic organic arsenicals are less toxic than inorganic compounds or aliphatic and other aromatic organic compounds. Aliphatic organic arsenicals include cacodylic acid and acetarsonic acid. These are generally used as stimulants in large animals, but their use is no longer common. Some aliphatic arsenicals such as monosodium methanearsonate (MSMA) and disodium methanearsonate (DSMA) are still used as cotton defoliants. Persistence of MSMA or DSMA in the soil and their tendency to accumulate in plants is a potential for arsenic poisoning, especially in grazing animals. Clinical signs, lesions, and treatment of aliphatic organic arsenicals are similar to those of inorganic arsenicals. Aromatic organic arsenicals include trivalent phenylorganicals such as thiacetarsamide and arsphenamine for the treatment of adult heartworms in dogs and pentavalent compounds such as phenylarsonic acids and their salts. Thiacetarsamide and arsphenamine are no longer used commonly. Phenylarsonic compounds are used as feed additives to improve production in swine and poultry rations and also to treat dysentery in pigs. The three major compounds in this class are arsinilic acid, roxarsone (4-hydroxy-3-nitrophenylarsonic acid), and nitarsone (4-nitro-phenylarsonic acid).
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