My dog ate rat poison. What should I do right away and is it serious?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Regardless of the dose ingested, it is recommended to at the very least start then on vitamin k which can help tremendously if in fact Roxy got anywhere near her toxic dose. This is an inexpensive and easy to implement therapy. She is not at a point that any effects are expected as it is too early in the course for that. I recommend that you have Roxy evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They could check her out and treat her accordingly. Good luck and have a great day!

If your dog ate anti-coagulant rat poison, it makes no sense to wait to give him the Vit. K1. Vit. K1 will only work if your dog ate rat poison that is an anticoagulant. You should contact your vet's office for a recommendation as we are not in a position legally to give out dosages. In order to do legally so we would have to have a patient-veterinarian-owner relationship with you. Your veterinarian also knows your dog and the potential risks for your dog receiving this medication. If your dog ate Bromethalin rat poison, Vit K1 will not work. It makes the brain swell and is moderately to severely toxic. There is no antidote, only supportive care, such as inducing emesis (vomiting, to remove as much poison as possible), charcoal (to hopefully neutralize some of the poison, iv fluids and medication to reduce the cerebral edema (brain swelling). As with many poisons, the dose is important. You will need to monitor your dog for a few days for incoordination (ataxia), tremors, seizures, and paralysis. If your dog is not showing any of those signs 24 hrs after ingestion, there is a good chance that he will not have eaten a detrimental amount and therefore may not need treatment.

Poor Annabelle! She does have to see a vet right away, as rat bait poisoning is extremely serious and requires veterinary treatment. She will need activated charcoal to prevent any of the poison left in her stomach from being absorbed, and she will need vitamin K treatments. The vitamin K treatments are not the same as ones found in health stores, and it has to be prescribed by a vet. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com Please take her into a vet now.

Thank you for the follow-up information. This is a very serious toxicity especially in such a small dog. Brodifacom is a long-acting anticoagulant (LAAC). LAACs prevent the blood from clotting, resulting in internal bleeding. Long-acting anticoagulants work similarly to the “blood thinner” medications that people take (e.g., warfarin or Coumadin®). When dogs or cats ingest LAACs, it typically takes 3-5 days before signs of poisoning are visible. So you don't want to wait until she is clinical signs. You should have her treated now. Common signs of poisoning include signs of internal bleeding: lethargy, exercise intolerance, coughing, difficulty breathing (due to bleeding into the lungs), weakness, and pale gums. Less common signs include vomiting, diarrhea (with or without blood), nose bleeds, bruising, bloody urine, swollen joints, inappetence, and bleeding from the gums. With some types of LAACs ( like brodifacoum), it only takes a very small amount to cause poisoning. Other types of LAACs have a wider margin of safety (like bromadiolone) and it takes a larger amount to cause poisoning. In my opinion this is an emergency and you should get Minty to the vet ASAP.

It would really depend on the type of poison and how much Eric could have gotten. At the very least, I would recommend that he be seen by a vet for baseline blood work and coagulation times and to start Vitamin K in case it was an anticoagulant rodenticide. If it was a below-toxic ingestion, the Vitamin K is still safe to be given.

Your assumption is correct, under 2 hours vomiting MUST always be induce when a toxic material has been or is suspected of being ingested. The problem with mouse/rat poisoning is that it is quantity dependent, if he ingested too much, no amount of vitamin K will save him unfortunately, and it is still too soon to know as some of those poisoning have a delayed action mechanism which means they can start working 2-3 weeks after ingestion. You must continue the vitamin K at home for at least 3 weeks and hope for the best.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Bromethalin is the new rat poison that causes neurologic damage to the mice resulting in death. There is no antidote for this poison. Lethal dose depends on HOW much Rotty ate compared to his weight. You need to call Pet Poison Control ASAP. If he ate it yesterday it is already out of his stomach and inducing vomiting will not help he has already absorbed it. If you induced vomiting yesterday and he brought it up then that is a good thing, but still call Poison Control!. I'm hoping since Rotty is a large dog he will be fine. http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/ I wish you the best!