Rat Bait
As the weather get cooler, rats and mice move inside to find shelter and in order to stop the mouse and rat infestations, rat bait is laid out to manage this.
Unfortunately this means that we start to see more rat bait toxicity cases, as bait can be temping for your pet as well.
Rodenticides work as an anticoagulant and stop the production of Vitamin K, which is essential to the blood clotting. Ingestion of rat bait can cause internal bleeding.
Some symptoms of rat bait poisoning include; Lethargy, difficulty breathing, pale gums, coughing (may have blood present), vomiting (with blood), blood nose, collapsing, bleeding from the gums, and death.
If your pet eats rat bait they may not show symptoms for 3-5days, It is important to contact your vet ASAP if you are worried your pet may have eaten rat bait as they may be able induce vomiting to bring up any of the bait still in the stomach. Treatment is more effective when started early.
It is safest not to use rat bait if you have pets, but if you do, ensure that it’s in a place where your pet cannot get to, and remove any dead rodents which may have ingested rat bait.
If you are concerned you pet has eaten rat bait contact your vet immediately!
