Rat and mouse poisons are toxic to your pets. Animals can become poisoned by ingesting the product or a rodent that has already consumed the rodenticide. The bright colors and sweet flavor that most rodenticides have will attract your pets to them. Depending on the size of your pet and the amount of poison they have ingested, rodenticides can have serious and fatal effects on your pet.
There are different kinds of rodenticides. Depending on the kind, they can affect the kidneys, heart and central nervous system. The most common is an anticoagulant. The active ingredient for this rodenticide is called Diphacinone, Brodifacoum or Bromadiolone. This drug blocks vitamin K from assisting in blood clotting resulting in hemorrhagic syndrome. This may be noted as blood in your pet’s nose, mouth, stools or urine. Other signs include weakenss, pale gums, jaundice, difficulty walking, seizures and death. Rodenticides have a delayed reaction so these signs may not be seen for two to five days after your pet consumes the product.
Your veterinarian can run tests to indicate rodenticide poisoning if it is suspected. Vitamin K can be provided to give to your pet orally with a fatty meal to counteract the effects of the rodenticide. A fatty meal promotes the absorption of the vitamin K. It is important to speak to your veterinarian before treating your pet since there are many different kinds of vitamin K and only one form is effective. Supportive care, including interavenous fluids or a blood transfusion, may also be required. The effects of the treatment can also take hours to a couple of days to fully take effect so your veterinarian should monitor your pet for any supportive care they may require. With the proper care and early detection, animals can be successfully treated for rodenticide poisoning.
Keeping your pet from being exposed to rodenticides is the best way to prevent rodenticide toxicity. placing traps and sticky pads instead of the poison is the best way to accomplish this. If rodenticides are used, they should be tacked down in a container that your pet can not get into. The poison can also be placed on hard to reach areas so your pet has less access to the rodents after the rodent ingests the poison. Any rodent seen after placing rodenticides should be removed immediately before your pet has the opportunity to get a hold of them.
