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Pets encounter a variety of everyday risks, from outdoor threats like animals or parasites to physical dangers like vehicles or sharp objects and household toxins like plants or cleaners. However, many owners may underestimate the invisible dangers — such as poisonous metals — that their pets could also come across in their daily lives.
While metal poisoning is not highly common in small animals, there are several potential intoxications that can require emergency care and sometimes intensive intervention. 
Dr. Christine Rutter, a clinical associate professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, discusses the health risks associated with different metals and how owners can keep their pets safe.
Zinc intoxication
According to Rutter, the intoxication most commonly seen in the emergency department at Texas A&M is from zinc, usually from ingesting a penny. 
“Pennies minted after 1982 are copper-coated zinc discs,” Rutter said. “Once ingested, the acids in the GI tract erode the copper and expose the zinc, which directly irritates the esophagus or stomach wall and is absorbed into the GI tract.”
Many wire crates are made of zinc, so pets that tend to chew on crate bars may also be in danger of zinc toxicity; the same worry surrounds pets licking diaper creams and zinc-based sunscreens.
Clinical signs of intoxication can vary and may include:
•Lethargy
•Weakness
•Pale mucous membranes (gums)
•Yellowing of the skin
•Anorexia
•Collapsing
Rutter notes that some pets may not show clinical symptoms until they are severely affected.
The GI irritation caused by zinc can be severe and sometimes even requires surgical intervention. Once a veterinarian identifies a penny or other ingested metal with X-rays, they can remove the fragment with an endoscope or surgery.
“The zinc toxicity itself can destabilize red blood cell membranes and cause them to rupture, meaning that pets may need a blood transfusion,” Rutter said. “While the prognosis for zinc toxicity is usually good, pets can be very sick and require a lot of care to get them back to health.”
Rutter suggests avoiding the use of diaper creams and zinc-based sunscreens on small animals, as pets may lick it off. 
“The level of concern depends on the product, but it is in the pet’s best interest to avoid the risk altogether,” she said. 
Lead intoxication
When a pet has low red blood cell counts and a chronic course of illness, lead poisoning is one of the things veterinarians consider.
Pets usually are exposed to lead by ingesting paint chips; parts of painted objects, like toys; or objects made of lead, like fishing lures or ammunition fragments. 
“Pets typically have to ingest lead for it to become toxic, meaning that pets are not at risk for lead intoxication due to retained lead pellets, bullet fragments, or shotgun pellets remaining in the body,” Rutter said. “When a pet is taken to the vet with a gunshot wound, we don’t go in surgically to remove those projectiles unless we assess that they are causing prolonged pain or other injury.” 
When veterinarians suspect lead intoxication, they will perform a complete blood count and blood film evaluation. 
“Metal fragments are usually visible on X-rays, but the absence of fragments doesn’t rule out intoxication,” Rutter said. “Treatment is focused on removing the source of intoxication, though other medical therapies — like a blood transfusion — may be necessary.”
Whether bringing your furry companion into a new home, a vacation rental, or an afternoon at a friend’s house, owners should be aware of the lead threats associated with a dated space. 
“Leaded paint was banned in the U.S. in 1978, but there are still plenty of older homes and antique toys with lead paint present under newer paint layers,” Rutter said. 
Home testing kits for lead are available for owners who want to test painted surfaces, paint chips, and any antique metal objects. 
Copper intoxication
Copper intoxication can occur when an animal ingests copper-containing materials — such as antifouling marine paint or a high-copper diet.
“Foods certified by the Association of American Feed Control Officials are fine,” Rutter said. “High copper content in a diet is uncommon unless dogs eat food intended for other species.”
Another explanation for intoxication is when an animal experiences a genetic error of copper metabolism. 
“Some breeds of dogs — such as Labrador retrievers, West Highland white terriers, American cocker spaniels, and Doberman pinschers — are genetically predisposed to copper storage disorders,” Rutter said. 
In affected dogs, copper builds up in the body and causes inflammation and red blood cell destruction with signs of intoxication ranging from vague to severe. 
“Blood testing, such as a complete blood count and blood chemistry, may suggest liver dysfunction or red blood cell changes,” Rutter said. “Definitive diagnosis typically requires a tissue biopsy. Most dogs without exposure or genetic risk are not in danger of copper toxicity, but we do look for it in some breeds and dogs with chronic hepatitis.”
Invisible dangers
Although metal intoxications are rare in small animals, owners should still be mindful of what their pets have access to and be prepared in case of emergency.  
“Prevention is about limiting exposure and, when possible, entirely avoiding pets’ encounters with these metals,” Rutter said. 
By prioritizing awareness regarding potential household threats and consulting a veterinarian if your pet comes in contact with a potentially toxic metal item, owners can ensure their pets continue enjoying a lifestyle free from metal mishaps. 
Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be viewed on the web at vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk. Suggestions for future topics may be directed to vmbs-editor@tamu.edu.

During the early years of the 20th century, two of the prominent families of Morgan City were the Prohaskas and the Cotten family.
The Cotten twins, Albert and Herbert, and their brother, William Mansfield, made their wealth in the timber industry in partnership with Frank Prohaska. They also partnered with Frank in the cane syrup business.
Frank lived in a beautiful Queen Anne home on First Street, which still stands, and one of his neighbors was Will Cotten who built Cottentop in 1909 on the corner of First Street and Greenwood.
This is a story of the Alberta, a 48-foot yacht whose ownership is still in question.
In 1914, Frank Prohaska became the “Father of Morgan City’s Mardi Gras.” He planned a grand Mardi Gras spectacle that year in which his 14-year-old daughter was the queen and Joseph Dyer was king.
Quoting newspapers of the day, Dyer, as King Cervus-Aces I “crossed the Atchafalaya in his yacht, the Alberta, with forty boats following.” When he arrived on the Morgan City dock, whistles blew and church bells rang.
Although Joseph Dyer was named as the owner of the yacht in 1914 newspaper articles, further information contradicts that theory.
In statements by Cotten heirs in the 1980s, one states that “Will (Cotten) was an outdoor person and one of his prize possessions was a boat, the Alberta, which he had built with cypress timber and which could sleep at least ten men.”
One of Herbert Cotten’s nephews remembers that as a child, he frequently visiting family in Morgan City. His Uncle Herbert’s home was large and handsomely furnished, but he was especially fascinated by the buzzer in the floor under the dining room table that his aunt used to “ring the kitchen when service was needed.”
However, the biggest attraction was the Alberta! He believed that the boat belonged to all three brothers because “Uncle Hebert and Uncle Albert both referred to the Alberta as our boat.”
He recalls his Uncle Herbert “telephoning the boat’s captain to ask if he could take them for an afternoon cruise … the cruise up and down the Atchafalaya River was always very exciting.”
“On my first cruise, I asked the captain if I could steer the boat with the “big wheel (bigger than me at the time).”
“The captain demonstrated how to hold the wheel, but when he turned away, I turned the wheel back and forth because it was so much fun to rock the boat! I came real close to getting my behind in serious trouble!”
The mystery of who owned the Alberta is complicated further when one opens Frank Prohaska’s photo albums located in the Morgan City Archives. Evidence there points to the yacht being used frequently by the Prohaska family.
These family photos give us even more perspective on the fun times spent by Prohaska family members on the Alberta.
Frank, his children and friends appear sunning on the roof of the yacht, fishing in skiffs nearby, and thoroughly enjoying their rides through the waterways of southern Louisiana.
Perhaps further evidence could be found regarding definitive ownership of the Alberta; however, I prefer to just imagine the elaborate lifestyle of these elite members of Morgan City’s early 20th century community.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will host the 15th annual “Boating Education Lagniappe Day” on April 25 at nine different locations across the state.
During Boating Education Lagniappe Day, LDWF will provide instructors for the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators boating education course and NASBLA boating education certification and lunch with some locations also providing door prizes all free of charge.
LDWF urges the public to register quickly as most places have limited spaces available and registration is on a first come first serve basis. To register for one of the nine classes, please visit https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/boater-education and click on the link for “Find A Boating Education Course Near You”.
Anybody born after Jan. 1, 1984 must complete a NASBLA approved boating education course and carry proof of completion to operate a motorboat in excess of 10 horsepower.
The course includes information on choosing a boat, classification, hulls, motors, legal requirements and equipment requirements. 
The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Agents Association along with other business partners help make annual Lagniappe Day possible across the state.
Nearby sites include:
•Terrebonne Parish, 7a.m.- 1 p.m., Ward 7 Citizen’s Club, 5006 La. 56, Chauvin.
Sponsors: Pizza Express of Chauvin, Chauvin Carnival Club, and Children’s Water Survival
•Lafayette Parish, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., LDWF Lafayette Office,
200 Dulles Road, Lafayette.
Sponsors: Deano’s Pizza, St. Landry Lumber and Austin’s Outdoors 
•Ascension Parish, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Cabela’s, 2200 West Cabela’s.
Parkway, Gonzales.
Sponsor: Cabela's

Spring always brings a rise in the Mississippi River, and that almost always brings a rise in the debate over if, or when, the Atchafalaya will capture most of the Mississippi’s water.
It would be a really bad thing if that happened. Ships could no longer get to Baton Rouge and only small ones to New Orleans.
Salty water creeping up the river from the Gulf would corrode pipes and taint drinking water. A score of industries depending on fresh water would shut down. And that’s not even half of what could happen.
It wasn’t a problem when the Mississippi changed its course centuries ago and began to send water into a tiny Atchafalaya that was a far cry from the deep river we know today.
The Mississippi also carried tons of debris that created a natural dam at the Atchafalaya’s mouth that held it to a trickle.
Geographer William Darby described that dam in 1817 as a miles-long “mass of timber that rises and falls with the water in the river.”
But, he said, tales that the logs were jammed so close together that horses could be ridden across them were “entirely void of truth.”
Darby found the raft downright pretty. “When waters are low,” he wrote, “the surface of the raft is covered by the most beautiful flora … and [it and] the hum of honey bees, seen in thousands, compensate the traveler for the deep silence and lonely appearance of nature at this remote spot.”
The smooth water behind the raft supported “many species of papilionaceous [butterfly-like] flowers.” Darby wrote.
“Even the alligators, otherwise the most loathsome and disgusting of animated beings, serve to increase the impressive solemnity of the scene.”
Steamboat captains and people who used their boats were less lyrical when they began trying to use the river. “Snag boats,” essentially floating battering rams, began to break up the jam in the 1830s. That made the Atchafalaya navigable but also let more water flow into it. The stronger current widened the Atchafalaya, dug it deeper, made it treacherous.
A writer for Harper’s Weekly noted in the spring of 1883: “Thirty-eight years since the farmers walked across the present sources of the Atchafalaya, and cattle browsed on the reeds growing in its bed … we found it [near its mouth] … 122 feet deep … with the wildest kind of primitive forests on either side.
“At many places the water whirls in great circles, [dipping] down like a saucer two feet beneath the surrounding current. Here and there it boils up like a huge cauldron, bringing with it various colored earths, showing the nature of the soil its deep channel is tearing away. … Our gallant little steamer sometimes surged along sideways; [or] had to back against and then race with the river current. A powerful river boat upward bound had to work back and forth across the river current. … Her progress resembled the crawl of a turtle.”
Even then people wondered if a course change was coming. The question asked, “by all along our route,” according to Harper’s, was, “Do you think the Atchafalaya will absorb the Mississippi current?”
A Maj. Whitney, supposedly an expert on such things, thought that “unless immediate attention is paid to this work … the Mississippi will flow … to the Gulf through this new-found [outlet],” and that “such an event will ruin … Baton Rouge, New Orleans and all … cities depending on the river for support, for it will not only leave them high and dry, but necessitate the changing of the entire established [river] transport system.”
The shorter Atchafalaya route would cut the trip to the Gulf by 200 miles, but the Major thought, “it is still a question whether … [this] narrow and more turbulent channel, would not so increase the dangers of travel … as to take away all advantages from the shorter route.”
That remained the question into the late 1940s, when the Atchafalaya was drawing away one-third of the Mississippi’s water; and the question became a cause for alarm by the 1950s, when it became apparent that, unchecked, it would capture practically all of the Mississippi’s flow.
The Army Engineers’ solution was a control structure at Simmesport to regulate how much water can get into the Atchafalaya. It has done its job since it was completed in 1963, but there have been scares.
During a historic flood in 1973, for example, Mississippi water began to undermine the controls. Tons of broken concrete poured into the breaches averted disaster, but worries persist that, even though more permanent repairs have been made, the structure will not hold forever.
The Army Engineers maintain, as always, that all is under control and will stay that way.
But lots of people agree with a skeptic’s view that “the river has a long memory, and … it longs for freedom.”
You can contact Jim Bradshaw at jimbradshaw4321@gmail.com or P.O. Box 1121, Washington LA 70589.