Emergency Contact Information

Since 1984

Emergency Contact Information

Rocky Mountain Poison Control
1-800-222-1222
www.rmpdc.org

National Pesticide Information Center
1-800-858-7378
www.npic.orst.edu

** These guidelines are provided as a service to assist users in assessing the potential hazard to companion animals.  They are not intended as a substitute for a thorough examination of the affected animal by a qualified veterinarian.**

Consumption Guidelines For Companion Animal Exposure To Anticoagulant Rodenticide Baits

Companion animal exposures represent the vast majority of all non-target bait exposures.  Of these, over 90% are to dogs.  Dogs, unfortunately, do not always make good choices when it comes to food selection and will eat bait if given the opportunity.

For practical applications it is best to think in measurements that can be easily and thereby, more accurately, utilized.  The easiest way to calculate potential toxicity is by considering the amount of bait eaten as a percentage of the animal’s body weight.  There is a fairly high degree of variability with any of these numbers due to the pet’s age, general health, activity level and other factors so the numbers given in the tables below are fairly conservative.

Anticoagulant Consumption-based Treatment Guidelines

Treatment Related Facts

• Anticoagulant symptoms typically appear between two and five days after ingestion and may include: lethargy, loss of appetite, excessive thirst, vomiting, bruising, or bleeding.  If any of these symptoms are observed, seek medical assistance immediately.
• Prothrombin Time Test is a blood test that measures the rate at which blood clots.  Normal clot time for dogs is 7-10 seconds, for cats 5-9 seconds.
• Treatment may include Vitamin K1 injections and overnight stays followed by Vitamin K1 tablets for approximately one month.

If Medical Treatment is Necessary

• Always try to determine how much bait was consumed by surveying remaining placed bait or bait stations
• Always bring product packaging or, if unavailable, a sample of the bait with you when seeking treatment.

Secondary Non-target Exposures To Anticoagulant Rodenticide Baits

A secondary poisoning is described as an exposure to an active ingredient via consumption of another organism that has already consumed the bait (i.e.: rat/mouse eats bait and dies, cat or dog then eats deceased rat/mouse).  As shown below, the probability of a secondary poisoning from one of the anticoagulant rodenticides is extremely unlikely.

As you can see from this table, while possible, unless the rats or the mice are the primary food source for the pet, consumption of a sufficient quantity of poisoned animals is not likely.