Pesticides are useful to eliminate harmful insects and grow crops however, misuse and abuse of pesticides may cause a death of wild birds, livestock, and companion animals. We analyzed residual pesticides in the ingesta and tissues from the dead wild birds, livestock, and companion animals which were suspected pesticide poisoning based on the diagnosis of the Animal Disease Diagnostic Center of National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service (NVRQS). The samples were primarily brought to NVRQS from local communities and veterinary diagnostic laboratories. The 231 suspicious samples of pesticide poisoning based on the necropsy were analyzed by GC/NPD, GC/FPD, GC/ECD, or GC/MSD in 2008 and 2009. Pesticides were identified from the 55 samples of total 143 samples analyzed in 2008 and from the 34 samples of total 88 samples analyzed in 2009. The pesticide identification rates in 2008 were higher than the rates in 2009. It may have relevance to the increased samples with the outbreak of avian influenza in 2008 in Korea. The concentrations of pesticides found in the dead animals varied and exceeded the respective LD∧50 of pesticides in many cases. Monochrotophos, phosphamidon, and methomyl were the most common pesticides found and those pesticides are high rank sales in Korea. The cause of pesticide poisoning in animal is assuming a misuse and an abuse of commonly used pesticides in Korea.

A 3-year-old female Thoroughbred racehorse was presented following the accidental oral and skin administration of amitraz. This case report describes the clinical signs and the treatment of this horse. Clinical signs of amitraz toxicosis are associated with the stimulation of alpha2-adrenergic receptors. Amitraz is seldom fatal because the effects can be reversed by alpha2-adrenergic antagonists. The horse displayed typical clinical signs of colic, including pawing, small hard drops, tranquillisation, depression, ataxia, muscular incoordination and impaction colic lasting up to 7 days. The syndrome was accompanied by mild dehydration. The horse survived after persistent symptomatic treatment, including the giving of intravenous fluids, antibiotics, multiple doses of mineral oil per os, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and dexamethasone intramuscularly and intravenously.