Toxicology Brief: Helping animals exposed to the herbicide
paraquat  Toxicology Brief: Helping animals exposed to the
herbicide paraquat  Sep 01, 2004  Last summer, an epizootic of
paraquat poisoning caused the deaths of at least seven dogs in
Portland, Ore.1 This epizootic is evidence that this type of
poisoning remains a current problem in companion-animal practice
in North America. Paraquat, a poisonous dipyridilium compound,
is one of the few nonselective herbicides still available in the
United States. Because paraquat is fast-acting, can be
effectively used in wet environments, and has limited potential
for environmental contamination and low rates of weed
resistance, it is still widely used in various crop production
systems. However, paraquat is highly toxic to domestic animals
if ingested.2,3  This article from The Oregonian on Aug. 18,
2004, describes the discovery of meat and raw chicken that may
have been planted to harm dogs in a Portland, Ore., public park.
As of Sept. 2, officials ruled out par