Signing up for MypetMD is easy, free and puts the most relevant content at your fingertips. 1. Tell us your name.: 2. How do you like to be called?: 3. What's your email address?: 5. You have a:: By joining petMD, you agree to the Privacy Policy. Anticoagulant Rodenticide Poisoning in Dogs The purpose of an anticoagulant is to prevent the coagulation (clotting) of blood. These agents are commonly used in rat and mouse poisons, and are one of the most common household poisons, accounting for a large number of accidental poisoning among dogs. When ingested by an animal, anticoagulants block the synthesis of vitamin K, an essential component for normal blood clotting, which results in spontaneous and uncontrolled bleeding. Normally, dogs that have mild anticoagulant poisoning will not show signs of poisoning for several days, but as the poison begins to affect the system, the dog will become weak and pale due to blood loss. The bleeding may be external;
this may be displayed as a nose bleed, bloody vomit, or bleeding from the rectum. Dogs can also suffer from unseen internal bleeding; bleeding into the chest or abdomen, for example, is fatal if it not diagnosed in time. Here are some of the most common symptoms of anticoagulant poisoning: Bruises and hematomas under the skin Hemorrhages (excessive bleeding) in the gums Ascites (swelling of the belly) due to accumulation of blood in the abdomen Difficulty in breathing due to blood in the lungs (this will make a rattling or crackling sound) The main cause of anticoagulant poisoning is from the ingestion of rodent poison. If you suspect that your dog has come into contact with rat or mouse poison, and you are seeing some of the symptoms listed above, you will need to bring your dog to a veterinarian before your pet's health becomes critical. Keep in mind that outdoor dogs (or dogs that go outside frequently) are at risk of rodent poisoning. It might be in a neighbor's yard, in a trash bag, or in an alleyway.
Dogs that engage in chasing and killing rodents may also be susceptible to this type of poisoning. Even if you do not live in an area where rats or mice are a concern, rodent poison may be used for other common suburban pests like raccoons, opossums, or squirrels. Some of the main anticoagulant chemicals that can be found in rodent poisons (or other household products) are: The first kind of anticoagulants are cumulative poisons. These poisons contain warfarin and hydroxycoumadin as main anticoagulants and they require multiple feedings that take several days to kill a rodent. The second type of anticoagulant is deadlier, killing rodents in a single serving dose rather than over time. These deadlier anticoagulant poisons contain indanedione class products, like pindone, diphacinone, diphenadione and chlorohacinone, all of which are extremely toxic. Rodenticides that contain the ingredients bromadiolone and brodifacoum, for example, are 50 to 200 times more poisonous than the kind that contain warfarin and hydroxycoumadin.
Another cause of anticoagulant poisoning in dogs is the accidental ingestion of medication. Heparin, a common drug for treating blood clotting in humans, can have a toxic effect on animals. Often, dogs that have access to medications will eat what they have found, either because the drugs are within reach, or because the drug cabinet is kept unlocked. Your veterinarian will perform a thorough physical exam on your dog, taking into account the background history of symptoms and possible incidents that might have precipitated this condition. You will need to give a thorough history of your dog's health and recent activities. A complete blood profile will be conducted, including a chemical blood profile, a complete blood count, and a urinalysis. In addition, your doctor will check the time it takes the dog's blood to clot to determine to severity of the poisoning. If you have a sample of the poison, you will need to take that with you to the veterinarian's office; bringing samples of the dog's vomit and/or stool may also be helpful.
Go to the Vet! If your dog ate rat poison, go to the vet immediately with a box of the kind of poison that's been ingested. If less than 2 hours have passed, your dog can be induced to vomit and given products to prevent absorption. This article explains the effect the poison has on your dog but it will not help you treat your pet. Evaluating the Extent of the ProblemWhile rat poison may not create problems immediately, a cascading series of events will soon start to take place, and things will start deteriorating quickly. Don't underestimate the problem! If you know your dog ingested rat poison or suspect it, take your dog to the vet immediately! How Most Rat Poison Works There are many rat poisons on the market nowadays, but the most common are made to prevent the rat's blood from clotting. Normally, blood contains special substances that aid the coagulation of blood. These special substances (often referred to as clotting factors) are responsible for converting fibrinogen into a mix of insoluble fibrin which ultimately causes the platelets to stick and blood to coagulate.
This is often known as the ''fibrin clot'' and basically it plugs the vessel's tear, stopping the bleeding. Clotting normally begins within five minutes of an injury to the blood vessels. This is a very important defense mechanism occurring automatically when a blood vessel is damaged. This is ultimately a life-saving event, since without clotting factors, one would eventually bleed to death. When an animal ingests rat poison, no more clotting factors are produced. While this may not create problems immediately, it certainly will in the near future. But My Dog Is Doing Fine! It is common for dog owners to assume that just because their dog is doing fine after ingesting rat poison, that they are basically out of the woods. Generally, anticoagulant rat poison takes some time to start creating problems, and for this reason, it is imperative to act right away instead of waiting for signs of trouble. Unfortunately, those who have waited long enough to witness serious health problems in their canines often lose their dog.
Why It Takes a While for Symptoms to Show Dogs have a reserve of clotting factors in their blood. Depending on how much rodent poison a dog has ingested, signs of trouble may start days or weeks later once the reserve of clotting factors has been depleted. Deprived of any new clotting factors, the dog will soon start bruising easily and bleeding internally, which will makes things go downhill fairly quickly. This delayed effect explains why most rats and mice die away from the source of the poison. If you have rat bait, most likely the mice and rats will wander off and a day or two later, when the poison takes effect, they'll die. Common Types of Rodent Poison How Your Dog Might Be Poisoned At times, dog owners are not aware their dogs have ingested rat poison. This often happens when dogs are not supervised. Exposures frequently happen accidentally, such as when moving to a new home without knowing a previous tenant has left poison around. By eating a poisoned animal
Secondary toxicosis is possible. Just because you don't have rat poison in your home doesn't mean your dog cannot get rat poison in his system! If your neighbor uses rat poison, and your dog catches and eats a mouse that is weak and dying or dead from poison, your dog can still ingest those dangerous toxins! Some people sadly poison dogs deliberately by tossing a meatball full of rat poison to the unsuspecting dog. Unfortunately, rat poison is made to taste good and since dogs are scavengers, they will eat it readily. Signs of trouble generally vary from one type of poison to another. The most common types of rat poison contain the following toxic substances listed below. Upon contacting the vet or poison control center, it is very important to provide the name and active ingredient listed. Many dog owners help veterinarians a lot when they come in the clinic with the box of rat poison their dog has ingested. Common Brands of Anticoagulant Poisons Include: Warfarin, fumarin, D-CON with brodifacoum, bromadiolone, pindone, diphacinone, chlorophacinone, difethialone, Havoc, Liqu-Tox II, Final Blox, D-con, Talon, Contrac Blox, Enforcer and Tomcat.
In these cases, the antidote is vitamin K. Non-Anticoagulant Poisons Include: Quintox, Rat-B-Gone, Mouse-B-Gone, Bromethalin Fast Kill, Strychnine Gopher Bait 50, and Zinc Phosphide, Moletox. There is unfortunately no antidote for the majority of these. Potential Signs of Rodenticide Ingestion As mentioned, signs of rodenticide poisoning will vary depending on the type of rat poison ingested. If you know or suspect your dog ingested rat poison, don't wait for these signs to occur! Take your dog to the vet immediately! If you do not suspect rodent poisoning, but your dog is exhibiting these signs, as well, take your dog to a vet immediately! There are rat poisons that cause symptoms right away and others such as anticoagulants which may cause problems later. Dogs that have ingested rat poison often produce a green or blue stool about one day later. This is often due to the bright green and blue colors used to dye the poison, such as in Warfarin or bromethalin-based poisons.
This should be a warning sign for dog owners who are not sure if their dogs have ingested rat poison. However, a lack of blue-green color in the feces does not necessarily mean a dog has not ingested rat poison. There are many variables such as the type of poison ingested and the quantity. With no more clotting factors to rely on, dogs will start bruising and bleeding, often spontaneously. A dog may bleed from the nose, gums, or rectum. Bleeding from the lungs may cause dogs to cough. Blood in the urine and feces may be also seen, often in the last stages. Bleeding can also occur internally, causing the dog to become weak, lose appetite and have pale gums. A swollen lump may indicate a hematoma (the accumulation of blood under the skin) and the abdomen may develop ascites (the accumulation of fluid giving a swollen appearance). Bruising and small pin-point red areas (petechiae) may be indicative of under the skin bleeding. Seizures, nervousness, anxiety, impaired movement and paralysis may be other symptoms.
Upon ingesting bromethalin, fluids accumulate in the brain causing neurological signs causing paralysis, muscle tremors and seizures. Within hours of ingesting strychnine, affected dogs may appear agitated, anxious and apprehensive. Grand mal seizures may then soon follow, often accompanied by respiratory problems. Dogs that ingest cholecalciferol-containing rodenticides will develop symptoms of the gastro-intestinal tract such as vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, constipation. Thirst and increased urination may be present as well when the kidneys are involved. Zinc phosphide rodenticides are also known to cause vomiting, lethargy and weakness. Upon suspecting the ingestion of rat poison, a vet will induce vomiting if the ingestion took place less than 1 to 2 hours ago. Activated charcoal will help bind any poison in the stomach. The stomach may be pumped if vomiting cannot be induced. A physical examination may reveal potential signs of bleeding internally if the ingestion took place a few days ago.
Blood work will be run, paying particular attention to clotting factors. What if you're not sure if your dog ate rat poison, but you're still worried? In such a case, ask your vet to run a clotting profile. This will determine if your dog's blood can clot properly or if there are issues. In the case of anticoagulant rat poison, there is fortunately an antidote if vet attention is sought on time. Because vitamin K1 is responsible for the production of blood clotting factors, it is the antidote of choice for rat poisoning. Please keep in mind: this is not the same vitamin K found at health stores! Affected dogs may require a vitamin K1 injection (especially when they cannot keep food down) and weeks or months of vitamin K1 pills. In the case of non-anticoagulant rat poison, there is no antidote and the treatment is mainly supportive. The dog may therefore be given drugs to reduce the swelling of the brain, prevent kidney failure, reduce seizures, muscle relaxants to prevent rigidity, and so forth.
Prognosis will vary depending on a variety of factors. Pet Place: Rodenticide Poisoning in Dog Other Resources for InformationThe ASPCA offers a poison control line that responds to calls from owners of pets that have ingested some toxic substance. The ASPCA poison control line is open 24/7 365 days a year and can be reached at 888-426-4435. A $65 dollar consultation fee applies. Keep this number handy at all times! Another option is calling the Pet Poison Hotline at 24/7 Animal Poison Control Center 800-213-6680. Alternatively, JustAnswer has veterinarians online all day for a nominal fee (generally less than $20). They may direct to you on what to do if your dog ate a poison. However, time is of the essence and your best bet is to contact your vet or head towards your closest animal emergency center immediately. Disclaimer: This article is not intended as a substitute for medical or veterinary advice. If you suspect your dog ate rat poison, please contact your veterinarian immediately.