Table 1.

Human and small animal pathologies promoted by metalloid or heavy metal toxic exposure.

Heavy Metal/Metalloid	Pets	Effects in Pets	References	Effects in Humans	References
Asbestos	Dogs	Canine malignant mesothelioma Pleural mesothelioma (more frequently than pericardial and peritoneal)—poor prognostic Pleural effusions, especially in old dogs, with males more prone than females	[13] [14] [15]	Human mesothelioma Pleural mesothelioma (more frequently pleural effusions) Peak incidence occurs in the 5th and 6th decades of life	[16] [17] [18]
Chromium (Cr)	Dogs	Cardiac impairment, oxidative damage, altered ATP-aze content	[19]	Airway irritation, obstruction, and cancers Allergic dermatitis Dose dependent renal damage Gastrointestinal and hepatic impairment Hypoxic myocardiac changes Intravascular hemolysis	[20]
Arsenic (As)	Dogs Cats	Ulcerative dermatitis Myocarditis Bladder cancer Chronic renal failure	[21] [22]	Hyperpigmentation and keratosis Ischemic heart diseases Renal diseases Bladder cancer, skin, lungs, liver, kidney cancer Kidney damage	[23] [24] [25]
Cadmium (Cd)	Dogs Cats	Disrupted male reproduction Impaired pancreatic function Decreased bone-formation rate Chronic renal failure	[26] [27]	Altered male reproduction (hormonally and functionally) Disturbed calcium metabolism: osteopetrosis, osteomalaecia Itai-Itai disease (renal tubular dysfunction and osteomalaecia) Kidney failure	[28] [29] [30]
Lead (Pb)	Dogs Cats	Functional forebrain dysfunction and cortical blindness Anemia Epileptic seizures Bone sclerosis Chronic myocarditis chronic Renal failure	[31]	Central and peripheral nervous system impairment Hematopoiesis problems, microcytic anemia Gastrointestinal disturbances Renal failure.	[32] [33] [34]
Mercury (Hg)	Cats	Similar neurological symptoms to Minamata disease: ataxia, weakness, loss of balance, and motor incoordination	[35] [36]	Neurological symptoms: uncontrollable tremors, muscular incoordination, slurred speech, partial blindness	[37]