Rats! Did I just get poisoned?!
/There may come a time where you find some very unwelcome house guests that you want to get rid of as fast as you can. However, you have to be very cautious with what product you’re using and where you’re placing it if you have animals. Keep in mind the poison is made to attract animals, it does not discriminate against species it is harmful to all. Most poison is made to smell sweet to appeal to animals to get the job done. If you think that your animal may have gotten into any kind of poison it is imperative that you act quickly. You need to contact your veterinarian right away and they will let you know what the next steps are.
Some of the most common rat poisons that we see are- anticoagulant rodenticides, bromethalin, & cholecalciferol. Each one of these toxins react differently and need to be treated differently. That is why it is so important for you to make sure you’re aware of what product you’re using in your home. Anticoagulant rodenticides inhibit the clotting factor of their blood potentially causing them to bleed out. Fortunately when dealing with this particular type of poison we can treat the patient typically with a good outcome as long as we act fast. Bromethalin poison is much more dangerous unfortunately. There are not a lot of treatment options available for this particular rodenticide, as it causes brain swelling. Cholecalciferol is another extremely dangerous one to our animals and it can be expensive to treat. This becomes an emergency situation these animals generally need to be hospitalized for several days for supportive therapy, this rodenticide shuts down the kidneys.
When renting or buying a new property it is a good idea to also inquire if there were or are any types of rodenticide poison on the property. Fortunately the ASPCA has a great poison control hotline. If it’s ever after hours and you’re not sure what to do because your veterinarian is closed but Fluffy ate some pills, drugs, poison, or even a potentially toxic food you should always give them a call to see what you need to do next to protect Fluffy. They will begin a case file, asking you questions about your animal and what the potential toxin is. There is a fee associated with this but they provide us with a clear plan for treatment to get your animal feeling better.Here is the direct link to their website:
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control
If you ever find yourself in a position where you think your animal got into anything that could potentially be toxic, better to be safe than sorry. Call your veterinarian as soon as you can and ask they will let you know what to do next-that’s just another day at the office for us animals get into all kinds of crazy things every day!