Rat Poison (Rodenticide) Treatment In Dogs And Cats
Rat poison.
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
If your pet is in any way exposed to modern rat poisons it is a medical emergency that you cannot put off. “Exposed” includes having been in the vicinity of the poison and you’re not sure whether he actually ate any or not.
Most of today’s rodenticides work by interrupting the body’s blood clotting systems, resulting in fatal bleeding. Even though they are called “rodent”-icides, they will kill any mammal that ingests them. Many rat poisons will also kill birds and fish.
The potency of rat poison has been ramped up dramatically over the last twenty years. “Poison corn” of three decades ago killed a lot of mice and rats, as well as many dogs, cats and not a few people. Still, if a victim was found quickly, vomiting was induced and anti-anticoagulant treatment was instituted for a week or so, the victim survived.
Not so today’s rodenticides. They can be fatal in extremely small amounts and their effect can last for thirty days and beyond.Treatment starts with removing the poison by inducing vomiting if it was ingested recently. While this can be a good test for whether poison was actually eaten, it is not foolproof. Poison eaten several hours before emesis (vomiting) therapy may have moved too far into the digestive tract to be vomited up. Further, because these poisons are effective in such small amounts, if a pet or person vomits some up we still don’t know whether he vomited all of the poison, and enough might be left behind that it could still be fatal.
Therefore, the usual course of therapy after vomiting is to begin anti-anticoagulant therapy with an injection, followed by oral therapy for thirty days or more.
In cases where the ingestion time is unknown and the patient is already symptomatic (blood in the stool, urine and/or vomitus, bleeding under the skin, in the whites of the eyes, inside the eyes or other locations around the body), not only must anti-anticoagulant therapy be given but blood products must also be provided in case the patient has used up all of his own clotting mechanisms. When Jasmon came to see us today her owner had merely seen her standing over the area where a cake of rat poison was. There was none in her teeth and she vomited twice for us and we saw no trace of poison. Jasmon might have been fine with no further treatment at all, but waiting is simply too risky.
Waiting might have cost Jasmon her life.
See you tomorrow, Dr. Randolph.
MMRODENT
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121 Comments to “Rat Poison (Rodenticide) Treatment In Dogs And Cats”
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Hi again. I called my dog’s veterinarian this morning and was told that if the poison hasn’t affected her already then she will probably be alright. I was told that it had been long enough for serious effects to take place but none have so she should be fine. She said to just watch her and if anything changes then to bring her in. It’s already been about 24 hrs and nothing has happened except seeing it in her stool last night. She is under high supervision and is acting perfectly normal. Thanks for your help. I will tell you how everything goes with watching her and if she has any treatment done.
Dear WorriedAboutMyDog, Please note that in the article I say, “Be afraid. Be very afraid.” I was serious when I wrote that, and I’m serious now. Your say your veterinarian was closed last night. He’s open now, so call and make arrangements to go see him. Tell him up front that you’re on a budget, and you want everything done that can be done within your budget. She ingested enough rat poison that you’re seeing it in the stool. That’s a LOT! She has absorbed much of it into her bloodstream and treatment must be begun RIGHT AWAY. Please stay in touch so that our readers and I may know how she’s doing.
Hi. My dog ate one of those little bricks of rat poison and I’m really worried about what will happen to her. I couldn’t take her to the veterinarian because it was closed and too late to go. She pooped out a lot of the poison but ik that there is probably some still in her system. I also am kinda worried about the treatment because it will probably be expensive to give her the K1 shot. What should I do? Do you think she’ll live? And can you buy Vitamin K1 for dogs over the counter and not at the veterinarian so I don’t have to pay so much? Thanks
Weezy, one pellet is one pellet too many, and can easily be fatal in a terrier-sized dog. I’m a little leery of over-the-counter sources of Vitamin K1. I would rather see you go back to the doctor, explain how concerned you are, and ask for an additional two weeks of Vitamin K1. It’s cheap “insurance.” The risk is nearly zero, whereas the benefit is extreme because there IS a possibility that she ate some poison. As you read in the post, modern rodenticides are incredibly lethal and the deadly effects can last a tremendously long time.
Hello. I took my dog to veterinarian this morning as precaution. I was walking her last night and I think she ate somthing from a yard. Neighbors use pellets for mice in a burrow. I’m not sure if mice take poison from their burrow and run around with it or not. So she may have eaten a pellet? Dr. said she did not need blood test. Only gave her Vitamin K1 for 2 weeks. I s this enough treatment? She would not give me a 30 day supply. Should I buy K1 from over counter and give her 14 additional days to be safe? I would really appreciate an opinion on this. My dog’s doctor did not seem concerned enough to me. My dog is terrier 16 pounds. If she did eat any it would be 1 pellet.
See our full reply to Delilah at http://www.mypetsdoctor.com/have-emergency-information-handy
HELP ME DOC! MY CAT REALLY ATE A RAT POISON! I don’t know what to do. It’s midnight and the local veterinarians aren’t available. I heard rat poisons aren’t that deadly to cats but Blondie is just a baby so I thought it might kill her if I dont do anything. What should I do? Give her bananas or what?
Marissa, I can’t answer your question about not inducing vomiting. It is a standard approach, but they might have had some piece of the history that I don’t have that convinced them too much time had passed, or some other factor. As for the vaccination schedule, I would ask your local veterinarian, who knows her best, but, in general, if she’s doing well in a couple of weeks it should be OK to proceed. Best wishes, Dr. Randolph.
My German Shepherd ate a packet of rat poison 2 days ago. We immediately rushed her to the emergency veterinarian, and they did injections of Vitamin K1 as well as gave us pills to continue. However, I am concerned that they did not try to induce vomiting. Also, she is due for her next round of immunizations. I am wondering how long I should delay these to give her system time to recover.
Thanks!
You pose an excellent question. I Googled “images for dog bruises,” but there were more photos of people bruises than dogs! Actually, I don’t see many bruises on dogs, but the next time I do see one I’ll photograph it so that there will be a good reference answer for your question. I’m so delighted that your father-in-law’s dog is doing well. Just remember as you’re telling him to give ALL the medicine and do ALL of the followups, quote from the article: “Be afraid. Be very afraid.” Thank you for the followup report, Dr. Randolph.
Thank you so much for both your advice and your encouragement. I am still very worried but we are giving his Vitamin K1 to him and he seems to be just fine. My father-in-law comes home tomorrow or Friday, so we’ll just have to make sure he knows how important it is for him to keep giving him the pills. I am curious about something: I don’t think I have ever seen a bruise on a dog. I was wondering if there are pictures somewhere that show people so they know what they are looking for in these situations on the dog’s ears, tummy, gums and eyes? Thanks again so much.
Rest easy, D. As long as you follow your dog’s veterinarian’s instructions you have little to worry about. Indeed, I am very proud of you because you have done everything right. You induced vomiting quickly, you sought medical care right away, you have given your oral Vitamin K1 on schedule and you are vigilant during the crucial time after exposure. You have followed our advice to “be afraid, be very afraid.” Modern rodenticides are dangerous and they don’t give up quickly, thus the need for a minimum of 30 days of treatment. Continue to watch him carefully. The best areas to watch are the belly where little hair is and the inside of the ear where there is little hair. Whites of the eyes are also places that make it easy to see bleeding. Keep us posted on his progress.
We are house-sitting my father-in-law’s year-old dachshund. Last night he got behind a wall and my niece, who was right behind him, grabbed him, but she thought maybe she heard a bite and checked his mouth. He had a flake of green in his mouth which she took out. She looked behind the wall and there was a block of mouse poison. It must be very old cause we didn’t even know it was there and we have lived here for around 7 years. Anyway, my brother-in-law quickly made the dog vomit and the vomit had no poison in it; no green at all. The vomit did contain what was left in the dog’s stomach after his meal several hours earlier but nothing else, no green… nothing.
I appreciate it!
About an hour later the kids came down and told my husband and me and we called the veterinarian and immediately took him in to the emergency service. Once there they gave him charcoal and an injection of vitamin K1, and a prescription of vitamin K for the next 30 days which we started today. We watched him for 24 hours and checked his ears, gums, tummy and nose with no bleeding.
The veterinarian last night said that we should be okay after 24 hours if nothing showed up. Unfortunately tonight I thought I’d just make sure with them and called them to ask if we were in the clear as long as he was on his vitamin K pills but she (another veterinarian… apparently a different one was working tonight then last night) said that we weren’t in the clear yet and that we need to watch him for “clinical symptoms” even through Friday (another 3 days away).
I am terrified that this dog is going to start bleeding. He is such a sweet dog. My kids just adore him, in fact we all do, and I don’t know what else I can do for him. I just had a hysterectomy two weeks ago, and we used all of our money for that. Now we are literally borrowing just for the dog’s prescriptions let alone his emergency bill. I can’t afford blood transfusions and more.
Sorry I tend to go on and on, but my question is … How likely is it that we didn’t get it fast enough and that he is going to have more problems? I know that it’s not something that you can predict, but in your experience if a dog has a similar case to this one have you had the vitamin K not work? I don’t even know if you can answer this. Thanks for any advice you can give me.
For our answer to Rajnish’s questions click here.
Dear Doctor,
My 4-1/2 month old lab bitch swallowed rat bait around 7 hours back. As I noticed that immediately, I induced vomiting around 15-20 minutes after she actually took it. I gave her 3 doses of spoonful of salt. After 1st dose she threw out all the solid food she had taken 2 hours prior to taking rat poison. After 2nd dose it was semi-liquid came out and after 3rd dose only watery substance was thrown out. In first 2 doses I saw lot of green substance confirming rat poison intake, however 3rd throwout was free of any green substance. I took her to a veterinarian thereafter (45 min after the intake) and he administered IV fluids along with many multivitamin injections. In all he may have administered 6-7 different drugs as antidotes + sedation to help us in administering IV fluid. I am in India so veterinarians here are not supposed to share medication details with families, so I am not sure about the medicines administered. He has also recommended us not to give any food (solid or liquid) or for that matter even water for next 12 hours.
He has also given oral meds – which are betnesol, beplex forte and Vitamin C tablets for next 5 days.
Do you think this is enough or I need to do more?
Thank you for the update, Dolores! We are delighted that he’s doing well. You have demonstrated a very important principle of rodenticide treatment: if there is any chance of ingestion treatment must be continued until finished, even if there are no clinical signs.
Just an update on my cat. We got home and he was fine, thankfully. He was showing no signs of bleeding anywhere and he was mischievous as always. We are hoping he didn’t eat any of the poison but we will continue his treatment for the next 6 weeks just in case. Thank you so very much for your help.
Dolores, notice that our first post on rodenticides begins with the words, “Be afraid. Be very afraid.” Rodenticide poisoing is a life-and-death matter. Without her medication she will surely die if she has, indeed, ingested a modern rat poison. Do whatever you have to do to get hold of her and administer her medication. Putting it in her drinking water will not suffice. You have no way to measure the necessary concentration, ensure that she’s drinking at all, know how much she drinks at one time, etc. There are a million variables. If necessary, capture her and deliver her to your veterinarian’s office for hospitalization until the treatment period is over. Please keep us up to date on how she progresses. Our readers and I will be on the edge of our seats to hear. Best wishes, Dr. Randolph.
Our cat might have eaten rat poison but we are not sure. It was during the night, that day we took her to the veterinarian and she was given a Vitamin K injection. She was put on Vitamin K daily for 6 weeks. We gave the 1st dose but had to go out of town for 2 days. She will not come out of hiding for anyone. Is it vey dangerous if she misses a dose? Maybe in her water? Thanks so much.
Maria, we know that healing is slowed by pain, so we want as much of the pain eliminated as we safely can. If your pet’s doctor dispensed pain medication, use it according to the label instructions. If not, call your veterinarian first thing Monday morning and ask about pain medication(s) that will be safe and effective. Please keep us posted on his progress. Where are you located?
There are many reasons for bleeding problems to occur. You read one about rodenticides (rat poisons). Click here to read another. These are the most common “poisons” that cause failure to clot in dogs and cats. However, AITP is an autoimmune condition that is not uncommon. Click here to read about AITP. In addition, there are other causes of bleeding dyscrasias, some inherited. We sympathize with the loss of your Orion. Click here to read about the grieving process. In sympathy, Dr. Randolph.
Doctor, My11-year-old had 20 teeth pulled and he doesn’t want to eat. He drips a lot saliva. He is very, very uncomfortable. What should I do? Thank you.
When I went to sleep Monday night my cat Orion was his normal playful self. The next morning (Tuesday) he was not at the door waiting for me like usual. I didn’t see him again until Tuesday evening around 5 and his pupils were larger than normal. He didn’t respond to me, he just wanted to lay under the van. He couldn’t stand up. He seemed disoriented and his breathing was different. I rushed him to the hospital and they said he ingested something toxic. Blood was found in his urine and feces. Blood was starting to fill the whites of his eyes. His glucose was really low. Also the Dr. said that when he tried (or did, I’m not sure) to put the I.V. In Orion’s neck he didn’t bleed but had bled everywhere else on his body. What could have he ingested to cause this? They couldn’t save him, my poor Orion died. The doctor was great, but he said whatever he ingested was progressive and a step ahead of them. I just need to know what could possibly of happend to him. I would be truly grateful for any insight. My husband was thinking antifreeze but from what I read the symptoms are not the same. Thank you.
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Hello Dr. Randolph, Firstly, thank you for taking the time to maintain this website. My 3 year old pug mix was diagnosed with rat poisoning a day and a half ago and reading other people’s experiences on this site have been immensely helpful. One of the things I am curious about is the general prognosis of rat poisoning if treatment is provided swiftly. I am currently out of town and my dog is with my parents. I was told that she had been coughing/hacking for about 24 hours and then eventually started coughing blood. A trip to the ER revealed blood in her lungs and a subsequent diagnosis of rat poisoning. She was immediately administered Vit K and put in an oxygenated chamber to help with the breathing. After this, she was given a plasma transfusion which lasted about 4 hours. She has been in the hospital overnight and when I spoke with the veterinarian this morning, she told me that her PT time was significantly better (down to about 17 seconds as opposed to “off the charts” when she had been brought in). Overall, she seems to be doing better and was able to walk to go pee (no blood in urine). I understand that a month-long regimen of Vit K and antibiotics needs to be carefully administered to her. However, I want to know if all of this could cause permanent damage to her internal organs. Do most dogs that recover, do so completely and without any long-term residual symptoms? In addition, do any precautions need to be taken when she is taken back home and is with her sister (who is healthy, no ingestion of poisoning).
Thanks again for all your efforts here!
My 13 week old puppy ingested rat poison at my in-laws’ house last week. My mother-in-law did not tell me he did because she wasn’t sure. A few days ago he started getting really sick so I took him to the veterinarian and that is where we found out it was rat poison. He almost died. After a blood transfusion and IV fluids he is doing better and was sent home. We were instructed to give a Vitamin K pill twice daily for 7 days. The veterinarian didn’t say anything about taking him back for further testing. Is this something that should be done?
No, an injection is not necessary, as long as you are giving the oral medication on schedule. I usually begin treatment with an injection simply because it gets the treatment process started faster. However, you did all the right things. My only potential concern is 14 days of treatment. I usually treat for 30 or more days because new-generation rodenticides can cause bad effects that long. You have three options: 1, go with the treatment your local doctor has recommended, probably based on the speed with which you induced vomiting. 2, Ask for an additional two weeks of Vitamin K. 3, Ask for blood tests to be performed soon after the 14 days of medicine is finished. Thanks for reading, Dr. Randolph
We discovered our 52 lb Lab eating rat poison. We induced vomiting within 10 minutes. Went to emergency veterinarian and they gave us a 14 day supply of Vitamin K. No shot. This was 3 days ago. Does she need a Vitamin K shot?
Sarah, 47 seconds is a quite long prothrombin time. You may have to prepare yourself for a transfusion or two to transfer clotting factors from a blood donor to your kitty, along with intensive care medication. I wouldn’t worry about suffering, a few sticks, a few days of feeling blah, as long as he responds to treatment any suffering is minimal. There may be some component of suffering to your checking account, as intensive care, transfusions and repeat testing can add up, but what better way to spend your money than on the love of one of these little babies? I’m sorry that this happened and our readers and I will be on the edge of our seats to know how they come around. Best wishes, Dr. Randolph.
Good for you, Erik, you did all the right things. If you re-read the post you will note that most modern rodenticides require 30 days or more of treatment. The only way around that is to have clotting tests done toward the end of your current round of treatment and ensure that they are normal, then repeat them weekly. Did you see your dog pass any green material, or material that looked like rat poison in the stool? As your dog was asymptomatic at the time of beginning of treatment he should be fine as long as he has sufficient treatment and/or testing to be sure he’s covered. Best wishes, Dr. Randolph. PS: Thanks for setting a great example for pet care!
Hi, 6 days ago I discovered my cats eating a blue cat of rat poison that apparently came with the apartment we rented (and that we had no idea was there). Luckily I saw them eating it, threw it away, looked it up on the Internet, figured out it was poison and rushed them to the emergency veterinary clinic. At the time one cat (will call boy cat) vomited and blue pieces were found, the other cat (will call girl cat) resisted vomiting and had her stomach pumped, and no pieces or coloring of rat poison. They were given charcoal, vitamin K shots and stayed at the hospital for 24 hours and then had their blood coagulation levels checked, everything seemed ok. A day after we got them back from the hospital, the boy cat was acting weird so I took him back in, the veterinarian thought that he seemed fine and we ran another coagulation test that also turned out normal. Today I took them both back in for the follow-up coagulation test just to double check and give them a clean bill of health and both of their coagulation levels are way above average in the dangerous zone and the boy cat’s cit-PT levels were 47 seconds. Now I’m not sure what this all means and I just want to know the likelihood of my cats surviving this ordeal and just want to prepare myself to make horrible decisions to spare them pain. Hopefully this is less serious than I think. Any input please.
My 8 year old Jack Russell (15 lbs) ate one or two very small rat poison pellets 3 days ago. We could not get her to vomit at the time she ate them but were able to get her to a veterinarian and started on Vitamin K capsules the next day. She is showing no outward signs of any problems but we are still very concerned. It has been 3 days now and we have a 10 day supply of Vitamin K from the veterinarian. What should our next steps be to insure our dog’s health? Do we need to follow up with our local veterinarian? is 3 days enough time to show signs?
Michelle, I had the thought after I answered your first post that you should try to ask your neighbor whether she still has the packaging for the rat poison she used. If it is a calcitriol analog it could be a factor in your dog’s problem, as these poisons can cause kidney damage from elevated vitamin D and calcium levels. If you’re not sure take the package to your veterinarian.
Best wishes and please keep us posted,
Dr. Randolph
Michelle, I can only assume that your pet is on a special diet that is low in protein for kidney patients. Many kidney patients need to be on IV fluid therapy for an extended period. If your pet’s doctor has done that for a period he thinks is long enough the next step is probably where you are now: determining how she will do without exogenous fluids. You can ask him if he is comfortable with you administering SQ fluid therapy at home. Some doctors are, some are not, which may explain why he didn’t offer that at first. You also have the option to have your dog transferred to the care of a board-certified veterinary internist, who may treat her more aggressively. Ask your doctor about a formula for a home-cooked diet that might be more palatable. I have complete cofidence in GOOD QUALITY commercial diets, though there are some bad, cheap foods on the market. Keep us posted on how she progresses. It sounds as if he has adequately ruled out rat poison as a factor. Best wishes, Dr. Randolph.
oh also we have been told later on that my neighbour has put rat poison down in her garden i mentioned this to the veterinarian and he said it was not this as it does not affect the kidneys like hers had been affected but had asked me on the first hand if she could have ingested anything such as a foreign object or anything chemical or poisonous as you can see its very confusing thanks again michelle she is also shaking her head alot when drinking i dont know if this fact helps but she stands staring at her water takes afew slurps while shaking her head, goes away then goes back to it then does the same all over again
Hi, my 8 yr old labrador was diagnosed with kidney disease. A fortnight ago we caught her in the nextdoor neighbours garden -but thought nothing of it. She got very ill very quickly and collasped. Saturday morn I phoned the veterinarian out as an emergency. He came looked at her said she looked very poorly, took some blood, her temp and listened to her heart and went away saying they would test the blood and be in touch. I got a call later on that day saying she needed to go to the surgery to stay as she was very dehydrated and needed IV fluids ASAP. I took her down and got a call a day later saying she had made it through the night which he was surprised about and they had run further tests and she was suffering from kidney disease. He kept her on IV fluids for a further 2 days then sent me home with my dog with these instuctions with us taking her off the fluids she may go down hill again. If she does you know where we are. She still wasn’t eating so I called the veterinarian again to be told she should have been put on ‘special food’ which she had to order. Another 2 days passed before the food arrived. She ate it for about a week but now she is not eating again and I am frightened of losing my lovely dog. I was not told if I could mix this food with anything else to make it more inviting to her. I put a chopped-up apple with it but she just picks the apple pieces out and leaves the ‘special food ‘ in her dish. Please can you tell me what exactly can I feed my dog and which food should I avoid giving her? I really am at a loss and am scared of having to sit and watch her either starve herself to death or die from kidney disease. I have not even been told anything about having to flush her system out myself using subcutaneous fluids at home. I read it on the Internet. Should I be doing this and why wasn’t I told this from my veterinarian? Is there truth in the words about commercial dog food not been good for our animals? If so where do I find out how to produce a specific diet at home for her? I am waiting with bated breath. Please answer my post. I am at my wits’ end. Thank you Michelle xxxx
The answer to your first question cannot be answered because it varies from patient to patient. In cases of known rodenticide poisoning we like to administer Vitamin K1 as soon as possible. The second most common condition to cause bleeding like you described is discussed in this article: http://www.mypetsdoctor.com/dog-cat-autoimmune-diseases . I know of no contraindication to use Vitamin K1 when the diagnosis is not yet clear, but there may be some possiblities I don’t know of. How is your dog now? Dr. Randolph.
How much time is there from when a dog shows signs of rodenticide poisoning is there for vitamin k treatment to be administered? Our 2 yr old Jack Russell was found coughing up blood and exhibiting signs of difficulty breathing. We immediately rushed her to the veterinary hospital, where they began running tests. her x-rays showed significant amounts of fluid (blood) in her lungs and esophagus. They ran more tests and placed her in an oxygenated chamber, which made her stable and allowed her to breathe comfortably. When we were told we could leave, she was stable. her red blood cell count was normal and she was still breathing comfortably, although still had blood coming from her nostrils. When we left, they told us they thought about starting vitamin k treatment, but that they were going to run more tests and wait for those. What they did know was that her blood was not coagulating and thus she was hemorrhaging. Rodenticide was on their list but they did not move forward with vitamin k. Is there a reasonable reason not to move forward with this treatment anytime rodenticide might be a possibility?
Fortunately, Lottie, allergies and rodenticides are not related. You can read more about allergies here: http://www.mypetsdoctor.com/atopy-or-atopic-dermatitis-in-dogs , as well as a number of other posts on the blog. Food allergy is another common allergy that causes dogs to be really miserable, and you can read about it here: http://www.mypetsdoctor.com/food-allergy-diagnosis-by-food-trial . While testing is sometimes needed for further treatment of some allergies, most can be controlled by medications, even though sometimes the medications we need to control really bad allergies can have some side effects. Still, side effects are not as bad as being miserable. In addition, medications with side effects can be used while you save for further testing that later might allow your pet to be off the medications with side effects. Here are some tips for saving: http://www.mypetsdoctor.com/dog-cat-piggy-bank . Ask your pet’s doctor whether it is worthwhile to treat your dog symptomatically for Scabies: http://www.mypetsdoctor.com/scabies-sarcoptic-mange-dog . Soothing medicated shampoos can be helpful, too, though you may need to try a couple of them before you hit on one that helps the most. Please keep us posted so that we may know how your dog progresses. Best wishes, Dr. Randolph.
Can ingestion of rat poison have a long-lasting effect? My now 6-year old dog ate rat posion 2 years ago. She was bleeding everywhere and we rushed her to the veterinarian. She received an emergency blood transfusion from a healthy donor. Within the last year, she started with allergies which have gotten much much worse recently. We’ve tried to treat with medication, cream, baths and I’ve changed her food, laundry detergent, etc. Her skin is now so bright red that you can see it through her fur and she is always scratching and biting herself. Is it possible that maybe one of her organs were damaged and this is now affecting her health? I love my dog but I hate seeing her suffer and I can’t afford the extra tests that the veterinarian suggested prior to the symptoms getting worse.
Please go to this page and bookmark it, so you will have the correct method of making your dogs vomit, should the need arise in the future: http://www.mypetsdoctor.com/correct-method-of-making-your-dog-vomit . I usually start treatment right away, then test as needed, but there are multiple ways to approach this toxin. In the test, the rat poison doesn’t actually show up, it’s a test for checking whether coagulation (clotting) has been affected. Stay on top of your veterinarian’s recommendations and watch closely for evidence of bleeding in the urine, stool, gums, whites of the eyes and on the skin of the lower abdomen. Best wishes, Dr. Randolph.
I came home to my two miniature Dachshunds standing over a chewed-up mouse poison box. I called for a ride to the emergency veterinarian and Googled how to induce vomiting. My one dog, Shiloh, that is a little bit fatter and the alpha, vomited up green/blue and some half-digested pellets. The other vomited up normal food/phlegm.
We get to the emergency clinic and they give us two syringes of charcoal to feed Shiloh immediately and 8 hours after. And say we should go to our normal veterinarian for a blood test (for both just in case the other had ingested a small amount as well) in TWO days and they might need to follow up with a vitamin K treatment.
Shiloh threw up the first syringe about an hour after ingesting it. Would it still have its full effect? The second one stayed down fine.
Would waiting 2 days be too long?? Why wouldn’t they give the treatment regardless now? My veterinarian also said two days is fine because it won’t show up in the blood test anyway. Should she still be ok once treatment proceeds?
Lori, there are SO many factors that influence the answer to this question: How much blood loss occurred prior to beginning anticoagulant therapy? Is the diagnosis correct (or is the bleeding from a bleeding dyscrasia instead of rodenticide, as might have been suspected initially)? Is the patient properly supported after beginning anticoagulant therapy (fluids, correction of dehydration, maintenance of proper electrolyte balance, is a transfusion needed, are platelets needed, control of secondary problems, etc.)? As with a well patient, sick patients need to eat, too. If everything is not going according to plan he will need to be rushed back to the veterinarian.
I am wondering how long after being given a Vitamin K shot will you notice a difference with your cat. I found my cat under a tree 24 hrs ago (he had been missing for 2 nights). He was lethargic and obviously in pain. When I brought him home he tried to throw up and couldn’t so I gave him some water with a syringe and he threw up large amounts 2x (the green color that some have described). He then urinated blood and I rushed him to the veterinarian. They ran tons of tests on him but did not give him Vitamin K until 24 hrs after I found him…they aren’t 100% convinced it is poisoning (as they don’t have the tests necessary to confirm this). He is now home with me and is still in obvious pain and now has bruising from where the doctor pressed on his stomach. I have the Vitamin K pills and will start with them tonight. I can’t tell if he’s better or worse and wonder how long before you notice a positive response from the initial Vitamin K shot. And should I continue to feed him with a syringe or let him decide when he’s ready to eat? Thanks for your input. My family is devastated and heartbroken to see him in so much pain.
Jeanine, how about if you call Doctor Number One and simply ask her to refill two more weeks of Vitamin K1. If she won’t do that then call me. I will send you contact information via e-mail. Dr. Randolph.
Dear Jeanine: It is highly unlikely that the rash is coming from the Adenosyl OR the Vitamin K. As you are seeing the doctor today he should be able to address that and you can let us know what the cause is. Testing today should be fine, even a few days off medication. Please update us on the outcome of today’s test.
Best wishes, Dr. Randolph
I took Elvis back a day early to the local nationwide veterinarian’s chain hospital. Because I was concerned about the rashes and sores that he started getting a few days ago. And it was time to recheck his ALT and Coagulation Profile. They told me he had to stay the day and that I could pick him up this afternoon. I picked him up and was not able to speak directly with the doctor. I had to ask questions through the receptionist. I was told that the test would be back in a week and they would let me know the results and that we were free to go. I asked did the doctor prescribe anything for his rash and sores. The receptionist had to go ask the doctor and she came back and said the doctor wasn’t concerned about them and to just put Neosporin on it. I am unsure whether this would be harmful for him, because he keeps biting and licking at the spots. Should I assume that ingesting Neosporin is not dangerous for a dog? I then told the receptionist that I had done some research about rat poison and found a very good article by a veterinarian that stated that the new rat poisons can stay in the body for up to thirty days. So could I purchase another 14 days of Vitamin K, because it would be a week before the test would come back? I would rather be safe than sorry. The receptionist went back again to ask the doctor. The way I interpreted the receptionist’s reply from the doctor was that she doesn’t take much stock in an Internet article. And that he didn’t need any more Vitamin K, he would be just fine and that I just needed to keep a watch on him if he starts to bleed out. The doctor had called Sartin’s Drugs in Gulfport when we initially took him in about making Elvis a 30mg vitamin K tablet, because she said the 25 mg was not enough for his size. But after they told her the price, she said we would just use the 25 mg. I know you said in an earlier response that over-the-counter vitamin K would not work. But I am desperate; I cannot just sit by and wait to see if he might bleed out. I am confused by the doctors lack of concern over a life-threatening event, when over a month ago, when we took him in because one of his anal sacs had became abscessed. And that is the same day she did the CBC and found that his ALT was elevated. And immediately she worked up orders for him to have an ultrasound, X-rays and a liver biopsy. His ALT had never been elevated before that time. And also telling us that we need to go to the optimum wellness monthly plan. And pushing that he needed a liver biopsy. My daughter asked if was there another route that we could check first, before doing such an invasive procedure and the doctor decided she would see how he did on the Adenosyl 225 mg for month and then retest. After reading your article today on your dog Peyton and how you handled his liver enzyme elevations over a two month period and then called your friend about a liver biopsy. I have serious concerns about the last month events. You may never answer my post, but Elvis has been a part of our small family since he was 3 weeks old. And there is nothing we wouldn’t do for him. We would be so grateful.
My 7 pound Dachshund ate several small bites of blue rat poison. We called the veterinarian immediately and were told to give hydrogen peroxide. She started vomiting within a minute or so. I noticed several pieces of blue in her vomit. The veterinarian said that if she started vomiting that she should be fine. She suggested to let her rest the rest of the night. Is the vomiting enough? I saw her eat the rat poison in front of me and then gave her the hydrogen peroxide. Would she still need vitamin K treatment? Thanks
Also, Elvis is seven years old, weighs 28 pounds. His mother was a dachshund, dad unknown. When my daughter got him, he was so small, but had huge feet and the color red like an old hound dog we once had. I told her he was nothing but a hound dog. And when trying to come up with a name, he was running around and we noticed he kept lifting up his upper right lip. And so the name Elvis was a perfect fit with the lip and hound dog feet.
On April 19, our dog (Elvis) ingested blue cake rat poison at a storage rental facility where we store some of our belongings. We got him to the veterinarian’s office within 40 minutes. First they administered hydrogen peroxide emetic, he never vomited. He was given a Vitamin K injection of 10mg/ml. They inserted an IV Catheter and administered Normosol. And then last gave him Toxiban Susp (no Sorbitol). I was to give him Vitamin K 25mg tablets for 14 days and bring him back for a Coagulation Profile after he has been off the Vitamin K tablets for three days. That night he pooped out the first of the blue rat poison and then the next day after two other poops of blue and black charcoal, it was back to normal. I have been monitoring ever time he urinates and poops and checking him for any bruises or bleeding. Two days ago he started scratching at his belly and under his front legs and biting himself. He has developed a rash, could this be from the rat poison? He was giving a flea treatment about a week ago, Frontline. That is what we always use. I bathed him this morning and after his bath I applied Sulfodene for hot spots on the affected areas. He has not been scratching and biting at the areas most of the day. Also, he was taking Adenosyl 225 mg for his liver. Before the rat poison incident his blood profile showed his liver enzyme at 325 and the doctor put him on Adenosyl for 30 days. Could the Vitamin K and Adenosyl be causing the rash? He finished the Adenosyl on Sunday and took the last Vitamin K this morning. And has a doctor’s appointment for this Friday, May 7th. After Googling for the 100th time on rat poison, I came across your article. I am so glad I did, I thought Elvis was in the clear since he had no systems for 2 weeks. I had no idea that it could affect him for 30 days or more. And I am concerned about him being taking off the Vitamin K after just 14 days and then waiting for three days before doing the Coagulation test. Could he start bleeding out in those three days? I am a firm believer in getting a second opinion for humans and animals, when it is life-threatening. So any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Also I live about 40 minutes from Long Beach, MS.