As the weather changes, we all start placing rat bait around to control rodents. Unfortunately, this is also about the time we start to see an increase in dog poisoning.
Things you need to be aware of:
- Rat bait is tasty to encourage rats to eat it and dogs find it tasty too!
- Rat bait kills. It stops the blood from clotting and causes death by bleeding. After ingestion, internal bleeding occurs throughout the body and this will eventually kill the animal.
- It takes several days after eating bait before the bleeding starts.
- Vitamin K is the antidote but you need to start using this BEFORE bleeding starts as it can take up to 24 hours to work. If your dog is bleeding then it is life-threatening and they may require a blood transfusion to provide clotting factors and red blood cells.
- As a treatment, Vitamin K can be expensive, and you need to give it every day for at least 2 – 4 weeks. A blood test is recommended after finishing the treatment to ensure your dog’s blood clotting is normal again.
Things you should do:
Avoid using rat bait if you own a dog. No matter how safe you are, accidents can happen.
If your dog eats rat bait, take them to the vet immediately. We will make them vomit if it is within 2 hours of eating the bait. If it has been longer then vitamin K will be needed.
If you are unsure if your dog has eaten bait, then a blood clotting test will be necessary.
Signs of internal bleeding include:
- Very pale or white gums
- Coughing up blood
- Blood in their urine
- Bleeding nose
- Wounds that will not stop bleeding
- Sudden collapse
If you think your dog may have eaten rat bait – our best advice is to contact your vet immediately.