Dogs eating rat poison is a very serious problem. Rat poison comes in different forms, and under many different names and brands. Basically, most rat poisons use blood thinners (commonly known as warafin) which will cause slow internal bleeding in the rodent. Some rodenticides work within 24 hours, and some will not affect the rodent until 2 or 3 days later.
Rat poisons are designed to cause internal hemorrhaging in rodents, and the same thing will happen to a dog if he consumes it. Rat poison will interfere with the blood clotting factors inside your dog’s system and leak into the organs, stomach and other cavities.
Even small amounts of poison may affect your dog. Always take your dog to the veterinarian or call the emergency animal poison control hotline if you suspect your dog may have consumed pellets or poisoned rodents.
Symptoms to look for if your dog has eaten rat poison
There are a few different types of rat poisons and rodenticides available. They are sold by category:
- Anticoagulants: Also known as warafin, fumarin or bromadiolone. Anticoagulants work by depleting vitamin K inside the body. Anticoagulants are the most common in rat poisons.
- Cholecalciferol: This type of poison drastically affects the calcium levels. Cholecalciferol will cause mineralization of the blood vessels, stomach, lungs and kidneys. Symptoms of Cholecalciferol poisoning may not appear for 24 hours.
- Bromethalin: This poison affects the brain and cerebrospinal fluid. It is a non-anticoagulant and may take up to 10 hours for symptoms of ingestion to show.
Symptoms of rat poison consumption include:
- Low body temperature
- Coughing up blood
- Bleeding from different body cavities
- Pale gums
- Random bruising
- Abnormal breathing
- Excess saliva
- Loss of coordination
Symptoms of rat poison consumption may be similar to other illnesses. Always be aware of where you used rat poison in your home, and keep dead rodents clear from the yard as often as possible.
What to do if your dog has eaten rat poison
There is a likely chance that your dog could die from rat poison consumption if he is not treated properly. However, there are are many different factors that contribute to if your dog will die or not. There are minor factors such as your dogs age, health, level of being fit, etc. but the two main factors are size, and the amount of poison consumed.
Some things to keep in mind when seeking treatment include:
Size of your dog – The first thing to note is the size of your dog. A 10-pound dog would be more at risk for rat poisoning, compared to a 100-pound dog. One small pellet of rat poison can kill a small dog much faster than a large breed. Even if rat poison doesn’t kill a large dog, it will still make him very sick.
How much poison was consumed – How much rat poison your dog consumed also has a large impact on the severity of the situation. In some cases, the amount of consumption could result in your dog getting very sick, and in worst cases, cause death.
The easiest way to calculate how much rat poison your dog would need to consume in order for death to occur is to calculate 50 mg. of poison per kg. weight of your dog. When discussing a poison case with a vet, always assume your dog ate more than you think.
Type of poison – The different chemicals used in rodent poisons also factor into how quickly your dog will be affected. Some rodent poisons are made to taste bitter, so it is less likely that your dog will continue to eat more after it is consumed. Old rat poison that has been sitting for a long period of time is also less toxic to dogs compared to newer poisons. This is because the poison has disintegrated over time.
For more information about dogs eating rat poison, symptoms, tips for prevention and more, visit www.ratpoisonanddogs.com