Toxicological hazards around the home are numerous, so it is inevitable vets will see poisoning cases in their practices.

Nicola Robinson, who is head of service at the Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS), discusses companion animal toxicology advice in this latest Vet Times Podcast.

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Dr Robinson has coauthored an article in issue VT50.06 (4 February 2020) “Companion animal toxicology”, which is available at www.vettimes.co.uk/article/companion-animal-toxicology

It features practical advice for first opinion practitioners, including history taking, decontamination and when to refer, and includes several information panels, including “Emesis in the management of poisoning” and “Substances not adsorbed by activated charcoal”, and a table of drugs and products used in management of poisoning.

Nicola Bates, senior information scientist/VPIS research lead, cowrote the article. She qualified as a biologist from the Brunel University, London, and has worked in human and veterinary toxicology for more than 30 years.

As well as providing emergency advice via telephone, she has written extensively on veterinary toxicology. She is the congress abstract editor for the European Association of Poisons Centres and Clinical Toxicologists, and involved in World Health Organization work on guidelines on the management of lead poisoning.

Dr Robinson qualified from the University of Cambridge in 1999, and worked in small animal and equine practice in the UK for 16 years, including four years in Australia. She joined the VPIS in 2015 and became head of service in 2016, managing the operations team and ensuring the service runs smoothly.

The UK has two poison information services – the VPIS, aimed at veterinary professionals, and the Animal PoisonLine (APL) aimed at owners.

For more on the VPIS, visit www.vpisglobal.com