Rat poison blocks blood clotting in dogs. Symptoms often appear only hours to days after ingestion. The most important emergency steps, with an assessment by veterinarian Mag.med.vet. Emin Jasarevic.
If your dog has eaten rat poison, you need to act fast.
First aid at a glance
Rat poison works treacherously slowly. Anticoagulant active ingredients like bromadiolone block blood clotting, but symptoms only show up 2-5 days after ingestion. That means even a seemingly healthy dog needs an immediate veterinary exam.
Call your vet or the emergency veterinary service now. Bring the poison packaging so the active ingredient can be identified quickly. Never induce vomiting yourself, it can block the airways and make things worse. The antidote for anticoagulant rodenticides is vitamin K1 (phytomenadione). It works, but it has to be given in time and over several weeks. Don't wait for symptoms.
Why is rat poison dangerous?
Rat poison, also called a rodenticide, is used to get rid of rat infestations. The unwanted guests mistake the poison for food and eat it.
Most rat poisons contain coumarin derivatives as their active ingredient, which block blood clotting. Once rat poison is absorbed through the intestinal wall and reaches the bloodstream, it interferes with the function of vitamin K and the clotting factors tied to it. This disrupts blood clotting and the animals bleed to death internally.
The active ingredient was synthetically altered to work especially slowly. Rats are very intelligent animals. If they watched their fellow rats eat something and then drop dead immediately afterward, they would recognize it as poisonous right away. But because the symptoms only become noticeable after some time, more rats can be killed at once. Unfortunately, dogs may also mistake rat poison for something edible. The effect of the poison is the same as in rats. Blood clotting is blocked and the organs are damaged little by little.
If the poisoning is not treated by a vet in time, it is life-threatening.
Do not lose any time if you suspect your dog has eaten rat poison. A vet or emergency poison service may recommend activated charcoal, but ask before giving anything at home. Getting veterinary help immediately is vital.
What does rat poison look like?
Rat poison is not sold in one standardized shape or color. That's why there are so many kinds. The poison can take the form of grains, tablets, or pellets. It can even be a paste or a liquid.
Rat poison is usually conspicuously colored. The colors vary widely too. So it can come in red, yellow, purple, black, brown, green, blue, or any other color. The poison itself is deadly for your dog. Your dog can suffer poisoning without having eaten it directly. If your dog has eaten a poisoned rat, indirect poisoning can occur.
Luckily this is fairly rare. Still, you should consider this possibility if your dog has eaten a dead or weakened rat.
16 possible symptoms
Depending on the type of poison, the amount ingested, a dog's size, age, and weight, and the time that has passed, the symptoms turn out to be more or less severe. Puppies, sick dogs, and older dogs react much more strongly to the poison and are therefore especially at risk.
The symptoms usually only show up several hours after the poison is ingested. For up to 5 days, your dog may show no symptoms despite being poisoned. The body's first reaction to poisoning is vomiting. The vomit may also contain blood or grains of poison. Diarrhea is another possible symptom.
Your dog's gums are either very pale or extremely red after poisoning. The tongue is usually tinged blue. Your dog may even have foam at the mouth because more saliva is being produced. Your dog may be very restless and have breathing trouble, if not outright respiratory distress. An irregular pulse and cardiac arrhythmias can also be consequences of poisoning.
If the poison was ingested several hours ago, nosebleeds and blood in the urine can occur. Body temperature is lower than usual and your dog seems listless and apathetic.
In the worst case, your dog trembles all over, has seizures, and loses consciousness.
Summary of the symptoms
Possible symptoms
Only a few or several of these symptoms may be observed at the same time during rat poisoning. This depends on the amount of rat poison ingested and on the dog's general state of health.
Recognizing poisoning in dogs and acting correctly
There are many different causes that trigger similar symptoms. So that your vet can quickly start the right treatment, you should describe all of the symptoms to them in great detail.
Another possible poisoning may be caused by slug poison, also called slug pellets. This poison acts a few hours faster than rat poison. It leads to a racing heart and seizures. Poisoning by rat poison can also be confused with an insect sting or a snakebite. These usually trigger allergic reactions that are very similar to the symptoms of poisoning. Poisoning by chocolate or other toxic foods is badly underestimated. Chocolate in particular is life-threatening for dogs. Your dog must never eat foods containing cocoa powder. If it does happen anyway, the consequences can be vomiting, intense thirst, breathing trouble, and heart failure.
If you suspect it could be a different kind of poisoning too, you should tell your vet. That way they can better work out how to help your dog.
4-step guide for poisoning
1. Stay calm!
In an emergency, panicking can lead to serious mistakes. The calmer you and any other helpers approach the situation, the more level-headed your actions will be.
Your dog notices agitation right away. The extra stress would only make the situation worse. That's why you should be sure to calm your dog. In an emergency, keep your dog leashed for safety.
2. Provide first aid
If your dog is unconscious, place your dog in the recovery position on the side.
Do not use a muzzle in this situation. If your dog vomits, the airways could become blocked. You also shouldn't make your dog vomit, because that could block the airways.
Keep checking vital signs such as pulse and breathing. If your dog is no longer breathing or you can no longer feel a pulse, you should start resuscitation immediately. Alternate between chest compressions and mouth-to-nose ventilation. It helps to have a second person assist you.
In this case your dog must be brought to the vet or an animal hospital without delay. If they are closed, take your dog to an emergency veterinary clinic.
3. Ask your vet about activated charcoal tablets
This step only makes sense if no symptoms have appeared yet and your vet or an emergency poison service recommends it.
Activated charcoal tablets, also called activated charcoal, bind the poison in the stomach or intestine and so make it harmless; the active ingredient no longer passes through the intestinal wall and is simply excreted.
If your vet recommends keeping activated charcoal at home, discuss the exact product and dose beforehand. It is available in tablet and powder form at pharmacies, drugstores, and the vet. Activated charcoal can help both with rat poison and with other poisonings that enter the bloodstream from the intestine if it is used early and correctly.
But they are by no means a replacement for treatment at the vet. Only give them after your vet or an emergency poison service tells you to, so misuse does not delay emergency treatment.
4. Get to the vet as fast as possible
The trip to the vet should happen as fast as possible. If too much time has passed and your dog is already showing severe symptoms, activated charcoal tablets no longer work. The poison has now already passed into the blood. At this point only the vet can help.
It helps to call the vet or animal hospital ahead of time. That way you know whether they're open. The vet can also prepare for the case and have the right medications ready. If possible, you should bring a sample of the poison, stool, or vomit. This could help the vet determine the type and severity of the poisoning.
Unfortunately, a precise lab detection of the poison takes up to a week. That's why the vet will ask about your dog's exact symptoms and then, if the suspicion is strong, inject high-dose vitamin K. If the right therapy is given in time, your dog may recover without lasting damage.
Steps to prevent poisoning
To keep it from getting that far in the first place, you can reduce your dog's poisoning risk with simple steps.
When rat poison is put out, boards, signs, and stickers warning of the danger are mandatory. So you should watch for these warnings on every walk. Then again, it may simply have been forgotten, or the poison may even have been placed there on purpose. If you have already heard of poisonings in a particular area, you should be sure to avoid it and pick a new route for your walks.
You can train your dog from the start not to eat anything while out on walks. Then even rat poison that's been put out can't become a problem. You can also watch the path during the walk to spot potential poison quickly. And you should keep an eye on your dog too. Your dog must not eat anything along the way.
You can monitor this more easily by keeping your dog on the leash during walks and under command.
Emergency action plan for suspected rat poisoning
0/6How do I recognize poisoning in my dog?
There are very many different symptoms a poisoned dog can have. They range from vomiting, trembling, and diarrhea all the way to loss of consciousness. Read our article carefully to learn about all of the possible symptoms.
How do I help my poisoned dog?
First, you have to keep a cool head. Take your dog to the vet as fast as possible. Before giving anything at home, ask your vet whether activated charcoal tablets are appropriate. If possible, bring the poison, stool, or vomit from your dog to the vet.
How do I keep my dog from getting poisoned?
Higher up in the article you'll find a list of poisons for your dog. Always try to keep these things out of your dog's reach. You can also try to banish some poisons from your household entirely.
What can my dog get poisoned by?
There are many different things in your household or outdoors that your dog can get poisoned by. Obvious poisons like chemical cleaning products are among them, but so are more unexpected ones like onions. You can find a list of these poisons higher up in our article.
Is poisoning in dogs fatal?
That depends entirely on the poison, the dose, and your dog. Not every poisoning ends fatally, but it is always an emergency. Your dog's chances are higher the faster treatment starts.
Were you paying attention?
Question 1 of 3How does rat poison work in a dog's body?
Recommendation from the vet
Rat poison poisoning can have serious consequences for dogs. That's why it is worth discussing activated charcoal with your vet before an emergency happens. In a worst-case scenario, fast professional guidance can save your dog's life. If poisoning has occurred, you absolutely have to stay calm. The most important thing then is to see a vet immediately. Only a vet can truly help your dog. The faster the antidote is given, the better the chances of survival. And to keep it from getting that far in the first place, you should pay special attention to possible poison while out on walks. If your dog is trained not to eat anything unfamiliar, nothing can happen.
Related emergency topics:
