The effects of age and diet on the absorption of lead from the gastrointestinal tract of dogs.

Two groups of young growing dogs (one group maintained on balanced commercial diet and the other on high-fat-low-calcium diet) and one group of adults dogs on balanced commercial diet were given lead orally at 4 different dose levels. Post-treatment blood lead levels did not reveal any significant difference between the young and adult dogs maintained on balanced commercial diet. However, dogs on the high-fat-low-calcium diet showed marked elevation in blood lead at each of the 4 dose levels used. The results emphasise the importance of dietary factors in absorption of lead from the alimentary tract and suggest that the influence of age on lead uptake from the gut requires further evaluation.