Poison or Toxin Exposure?

Question
QUESTION: I had a break-in at my apartment. The police used a black fingerprint powder in the same room my rabbit lived. About 8-10 weeks later my rabbit had anemia, really high liver values, and a mass effect on her liver. I'm concerned that she was exposed to something harmful from the fingerprint powder. I thought I had cleaned it all up but just recently found some spots in the carpet, so it was present in the environment for that 8-10 week period.

The powder was used in one small area of the room, on a table-top, not all over or in multiple places. Obviously, some got on the floor by the table  and my rabbit did have access to the whole room. Due to other health problems (she was dealing with a vestibular problem/head tilt, loss of site due to mature cataracts) she didn't often make it to that part of the room but mostly stayed in her area.

Do you have any thoughts on the likelihood of this? She has since passed and after discovering those powder spots on the carpet I am very distressed that may have been a cause.

Thank you very much

ANSWER: Dear Chris,

I am very sorry about the loss of your bunny.  But please don't blame yourself for this.  If she had other health problems before exposure to the powder (if she was exposed), then that, alone, could explain things.

I found this from a Scientific American article on the ingredients of fingerprint powder:

"The most common method of developing latent prints on nonporous objects is to physically enhance them by applying fingerprint powder. Fingerprint powder is composed of many different ingredients that can vary greatly depending on the formula used. Most black fingerprint powders contain rosin, black ferric oxide and lampblack. Many also contain inorganic chemicals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, copper, silicon, titanium and bismuth."

Some of the heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium) could be worrisome, but (1) it's possible the powder didn't contain them and (2) the tiny exposure to powder just doesn't seem likely to have given a lethal dose of any of them, though we  don't know how much of the powder your bunny might have touched, if at all.

In short, if your bunny didn't go to that part of the room often, I really doubt that the powder contributed to her death.  People handle that powder all day, and though we are bigger animals than rabbits (with bigger livers), you'd still expect warnings if there was a real danger posed to humans or companion animals by this substance.

Again, I'm sorry about the loss of your friend. But I really doubt the powder had anything to do with it.  Many other things (e.g., chronic infection) can explain high liver values and anemia.  Only histopathology would tell us for absolutely sure.  But it's not possible to do now.  And I really think that it's not very likely.

I hope this helps.

Take care,

Dana

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Dr. Krempels,

She did have ongoing health problems prior to the "exposure". She was being treated for nearly two years for possible chronic infection. Her caregiver was Dr. Lightfoot in Tampa. We never discussed this issue as it hadn't occurred to me at the time.

The elevated liver values, the anemia and the mass effect were discovered after the possible exposure so in retrospect it's that timing that concerns me. About one week after my break-in she had routine bloods run. Her liver values were just slightly elevated. Within about 9 more weeks her values were sky-high and the anemia and mass(es) were discovered. I should have been more detailed in my first post, but does this information change your opinion at all or could it be just coincidental timing?

I also did some reading on fingerprint powders. They are handled every day by investigators and there apparently are health concerns and advisories due to some of the various ingredients. But these are people who regularly use these substances in their occupations over long periods of time so they need to take precautions from over-exposure.

Thank you again.

Answer
Dear Chris,

Dr. Lightfoot is terrific, and I know your bunny was under the best of care when she passed.  I would discuss your fears with Dr. Lightfoot and see if she has ever heard of such a thing.

The only problem is that even if the dust did contribute to your baby's demise, there is little to be done about it now.  I hope you won't beat yourself up about it, because it was NOT your fault, and no one could have foreseen something like this.  I personally doubt it was the powder.  But again, only toxicology testing would tell us anything.

I'm so sorry about the loss of your friend.  The answer you seek may never be known.  And if that's the case, then I hope you can at least take comfort in knowing that even if her life was too short, it was full of your love and care.  She had a best friend, and most rabbits never even know a gentle touch.

Take care,

Dana