Emergency: What to Do If Your Dog Eats Rat Poison

There are several types of rat poison, each with its own method of action and potential dangers to pets, especially dogs. Here's a detailed look at the various types and their effects:

Anticoagulants (LAACS)

Effect: Anticoagulants work by disrupting the vitamin K in a rat's body, causing its blood to lose its clotting ability. This leads to widespread internal bleeding in the organs, ultimately resulting in death.

Symptoms: If a dog ingests anticoagulant rat poison, symptoms typically appear within 3 to 5 days, including lethargy, weakness, difficulty breathing, pale gums, bloody urine and feces, nosebleeds, joint swelling, and gum bleeding.

Treatment: Since vitamin K is disrupted, vitamin K supplementation is necessary. However, be warned that vitamin K in pill form is not available at pharmacies and must be obtained through a veterinarian.

Vitamin D3

Effect: This is a relatively new type of rat poison that causes a rapid increase in the calciumphosphorus ratio in rats, leading to severe kidney failure and ultimately death.

Symptoms: Signs of kidney damage include thirst and excessive urination. Within 2 to 3 days of ingestion, a dog may suffer from acute kidney failure, with permanent damage to the kidneys.

Treatment: This situation requires hospitalization. As of now, there is no specific antidote for vitamin D3 rat poison, so doctors will use various methods to lower the calciumphosphorus ratio in the dog's body.

Bromethalin

Effect: This rat poison, from a professional standpoint, has many similar components to anticoagulants and is often mistaken for them. It causes swelling in the rat's brain and liver, leading to death.

Symptoms: Since the brain is affected, the most common reaction is uncoordinated limbs, along with trembling, seizures, paralysis, and death.

Treatment: Reactions may occur within 2 hours or even 36 hours after ingestion, so if there are no symptoms upon initial examination, the dog should be monitored for 24 hours in the hospital. Treatment often involves intravenous fluids and special medications, necessitating hospitalization.

Phosphine

Effect: Rat poisons containing phosphine cause the substance to react with stomach acid, producing toxic phosphine gas that kills the rat.

Symptoms: Since a chemical reaction occurs in the gastrointestinal tract, dogs may exhibit symptoms such as abdominal swelling, vomiting, shock, weakness, and seizures.

Treatment: There is no antidote for phosphine, so the first step is to ensure the dog does not eat anything. Treatment typically involves induced vomiting and gastric lavage, determined by the veterinarian.

Now, let's address some common questions and provide emergency measures:

What is the dosage ratio of hydrogen peroxide for inducing vomiting? What are the prerequisites for using hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting? What should be done in case of an emergency during hydrogen peroxideinduced vomiting? How much do you know about the prerequisites for hydrogen peroxideinduced vomiting?

It's important to note that if phosphine has already reacted in the dog's stomach, the owner may also inadvertently inhale toxic phosphine gas. Therefore, during the rescue, the veterinarian should also check the owner for any exposure. If driving to the pet hospital, remember to keep the windows open.

What are other emergency measures for rat poison ingestion?

Carry the rat poison with you, preferably with the packaging. Many rat poisons provide information on toxicity and antidotes on their packaging, which can help reduce the time it takes for the veterinarian to begin treatment.

Calculate the amount and time of the ingestion during the journey to the hospital, which can assist the veterinarian in determining the appropriate dosage.

Stay calm. Although the dog has ingested the poison, timely rescue can lead to a good outcome. Panic is useless; remain composed, take the dog to the hospital as soon as possible, and try to complete the above steps.