Rodenticide (rat and mouse bait)
ToxicRodenticide is four different poisons with four different timelines, and color or shape does not identify the active ingredient. Bring the packaging and call your vet or the APCC at (888) 426-4435 now.
This food guide has not been reviewed by a veterinarian. It summarises general information from sources and should not be used to decide whether a food is suitable for an individual dog or to assess an emergency.
Check before feeding
Do not offer as a treat
There is no recommended treat portion for this hazardous item. If swallowed, contact a vet with the amount, time and product details. Do not induce vomiting yourself.
Signs and health concerns
This list includes both observable signs and conditions identified through examination or testing. It cannot establish the cause or whether an exposure is safe.
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Loss of appetite
- Blood clotting disorder
- Difficulty breathing
- Pale gums or mucous membranes
- Tremors
- Seizures
- Poor coordination or balance
- Vomiting
- Increased urine volume
- Increased thirst
- Raised nitrogen waste in blood
- Dehydration
- Collapse
More about this food
The first thing to know about rat bait is that it is not one substance. Pet Poison Helpline names four ingredient classes (long-acting anticoagulants, cholecalciferol, bromethalin and phosphides) and states plainly that the active ingredient cannot be confidently identified from the color or shape of the bait. Reading the label is part of the treatment, so bring the box, the bait station, the receipt, anything with printing on it.
Long-acting anticoagulants (brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difethialone, difenacoum, diphacinone, warfarin) block vitamin K epoxide reductase, so clotting factors II, VII, IX and X stop being made. Merck reports that coagulation times rise 2-5 days after ingestion and visible bleeding appears 3-7 days after a toxic dose, which is why a normal-looking dog on day one proves nothing. Signs include inappetence, lethargy, weakness, epistaxis, respiratory distress from bleeding into the chest, pale gums, hematemesis and melena. There is an antidote: vitamin K1 at 2.5 mg/kg PO every 12 hours or 5 mg/kg PO every 24 hours for 28 days, with a PT recheck afterwards. Stopping early because the dog looks well is how dogs bleed out in week three.
Bromethalin is a different animal. It uncouples oxidative phosphorylation in the CNS and causes cerebral edema. Merck cites an LD50 of 2.38-4.7 mg/kg in dogs (average about 3.54) and treats one-tenth of the lowest LD50 as the toxic dose. Doses at or above the average LD50 can produce a convulsant syndrome within 4-36 hours; lower doses produce a paralytic syndrome within 1-5 days. There is no antidote, and signs can persist for weeks.
Cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) wrecks calcium and phosphorus balance. Merck notes signs from doses as low as 0.1 mg/kg and metastatic mineralization above 0.5 mg/kg, with changes developing within 12-48 hours: weakness, anorexia, vomiting, increased drinking and urination, dehydration, and kidney injury as the tissue mineralizes. Monitoring runs for days to weeks.
Call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 with the product name, the EPA registration number if you can find it, the time and your dog's weight. Do not induce vomiting at home. If your dog has no symptoms yet, you are not late; you are early, which is exactly where you want to be.
Frequently asked questions
- It has been a day and he is completely normal. Are we in the clear?
- If it was an anticoagulant, that is expected. Clotting times rise at 2-5 days and bleeding shows at 3-7 days. Right now is when treatment works, so bring the packaging in today.
- The pellets are blue. Doesn't that tell you what it is?
- No. Anticoagulants, bromethalin and cholecalciferol are all sold as blue or green bait. Only the label's active ingredient statement identifies it, so photograph or bring the package.
- He is better after a few days of vitamin K. Can we stop?
- No. Long-acting anticoagulants require 28 days of vitamin K1 followed by a repeat clotting time. Stopping early lets the clotting factors fall again, and bleeding can start after the pills stop.