What is a common treatment for lead toxicity in dogs?

Prepare for the Penn Foster Veterinary Pharmacology Exam. Get ready for your exam with interactive flashcards and multiple-choice questions. Each question comes with hints and explanations to help you succeed!

Calcium EDTA is the correct choice for treating lead toxicity in dogs because it functions as a chelating agent, which means it binds to lead in the bloodstream and facilitates its excretion from the body. This process helps to reduce the toxic effects of lead and prevent further accumulation in the tissues.

Lead toxicity can lead to serious neurological and hematological problems in dogs, and chelation therapy with calcium EDTA is a well-established treatment. The chelation process not only reduces blood lead levels but also helps mitigate the clinical signs associated with lead poisoning, thereby improving the dog's overall outcome.

In contrast, while activated charcoal is used for gastrointestinal decontamination, it is not effective for lead once it has already been absorbed into the bloodstream. Vitamin K is primarily used for treating anticoagulant poisoning and does not address lead toxicity. Folic acid, although important for certain metabolic processes, does not have a role in treating lead toxicity specifically.

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