Rajiv writes from Kalra, India: Doctor, my Lhasa Apso, 2 years old, ate a rat which had suspected to eaten rat poison. We tried vomiting with salt water and took to our veterinarian who gave injection to induce vomiting however Scooby slept so he gave Vitamin K injection and gave purgative pills for night. Dog is normal after 5 to six hours apart from diarrhea and drip to cover dehydration. What other monitoring/test is required since our veterinarian has not talked about any blood test regards -Rajiv
[To read MyPetsDoctor.com’s main article on rodenticide (rat poison) diagnosis and treatment, click here.]
Rajiv’s Scooby faces a problem that is common around the world. Many, many places suffer from an overabundance of rodents and the horrible diseases they carry. In some countries the rodent population may even be the number one public health problem.
As a result, efforts are widespread to control rats and mice, and poisons that are attractive to them are also attractive to dogs, cats, even children. Brightly-colored pellets of rodenticides such as brodifacoum catch the victim’s attention, then the taste makes them want to consume it in maximal amounts.
The Lhasa Apso has retained its hunting instincts, such if it catches an ill rodent that has consumed poison, then eats the carcass (especially the intestines, where the poison is greatest), that dog becomes at risk for secondary poisoning from the original, intended victim.
Rajiv, your pet’s doctor has done all the right things. Salt water vomiting induction can be dangerous, so be sure to bookmark our link for the proper way to induce vomiting when you can’t reach your veterinarian promptly. The initial injection of Vitamin K1 was a good start. Be sure to use oral medication for a minimum of 30 days. Followup blood testing for clotting capabilities will be very important.
Good luck with Scooby, Rajiv, and keep us posted on his progress.
See you tomorrow, Dr. Randolph.
“My cat may have gotten into rat poison.. We are not sure…She disapeared for 2 weeks and just came walking around the side the house one day and looked terrible…We took her to the veterinarian and he did all kinds of tests..Some part about her blood was down to 14 [hematocrit] and he said it should have been in the 30s.. He said at 10 they do blood transfusion…He gave her fluids for dehydration and put her on vitamin K.. She is barely eating and I am hand feeding with a syringe.. She is also on PetTinic to help build her strength back up…She does move around some, but not much.. She stayed with the veterinarian for a week and he said it might be best if she went home , because she might do better with us… She has not had a bowel movement in 3 days.. She was stopped up and he cleaned her out.. Will it take time to build back up so she can go potty? She does not pee much either… I am giving her water and food… She will purr and love on you but it is taking forever for her to seem any better… I will keep feeding and giving her water as long as I have to…No signs of blood anywhere. Her nose is crusty and I wash it constantly so she can breathe… Her eyes run a little and I medicate them also… No sneezing or coughing… She will walk some but mostly she just sleeps… Anything else I can do for her? I pray for her everyday and already gave her to the good Lord to take over…I will do anything necessary… How long before she should start acting a little normal if all this is working… We go back to veterinarian today.
Pamela, our prayers are with you and your precious kitty. It sounds like she has had a tough road. ASSUMING that there was once rodenticide causing bleeding and that there is no more bleeding, vitamin K1 treatment must continue, as modern rat poisons can continue to adversely affect your kitty for a long time. As long as bleeding is under control, hydration is your next big issue. If she needs IV fluids she can be hospitalized again, or you can use a combination of supplementing oral water with subcutaneous fluid therapy at your pet’s doctor’s office. He might even be willing to teach you how to do that yourself, at home. Repeating laboratory tests can be important to evaluate organ function. PetTinic supplies iron and vitamins to help build new red blood cells. It can be a long road, but it sounds as if you and your veterinarian have done all of the right things to allow your kitty to have the maximum chance for a full recovery. Please stay in touch so that we can know how she does.
THANKS, SIR, I’M REASSURED ABOUT SCOOBY. DOCTOR, SCOOBY DIDN’T GET BLEEDING STOOLS, SEIZURES OR VOMITING EVEN ON 5TH DAY. DOCTOR DISCONTINUED PURGATIVES AS HIS VITAL SIGNS ARE OK AND IS NOW ACTIVE AND NORMAL APETTITE. MY VETERINARIAN HAS DROPPED VITAMIN K TABLETS AS I FEEL THAT THE RAT WAS CAUGHT DIRECTLY AND ONE WHO PERHAPS DIDN’T EAT POISON. PLEASE GUIDE, REGARDS /RAJIV /INDIA.
I can think of NO justification for stopping the Vitamin K therapy. If there is ANY chance he got ANY rat poison, even small amounts can be fatal. Vitamin K tablets are cheap and side effects are rare. Why would you NOT continue with the therapy, I just don’t see the downside. On the other hand, you could have weekly clotting tests, but that would be more invasive than Vitamin K therapy, and more costly, too.