Rajnish writes from India: 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?
I have published Rajnish’s letter because it illustrates just how good we have it here in the United States.
Any veterinarian here knows how to treat rat poisoning.
When he treats your pet he’s going to tell you what he’s doing, why, and with what medications. No one is going to be kept in the dark about the status of his pet!
Rajnish, the foundation of rodenticide poisoning is removal of the offending agent, which you have done, and administration of Vitamin K1 by injection and/or orally. I see nothing in the list that indicates Vitamin K1 is part of your dog’s regimen, so that will need to be added. Ask your veterinarian for the proper dosage.
In addition, be sure that treatment is long enough. As we have stated repeatedly, thirty days is the minimum duration of Vitamin K1 therapy in rat poison cases.
And, print out these recommendations for inducing vomiting with a much safer method that administering salt.
Although we hope you will never have to use them!
See you tomorrow, Dr. Randolph.
