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Pre-Surgical Information
Spaying or neutering your pet is a big step! There is a lot to consider
when we are planning your pet’s surgery. Here is some information to help
you make wise decisions.
Click here . . .
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Special LibraryOur Special Library
is a collection of informative articles on a variety of health topics.
Click here . . .
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Discharge InstructionsClick here for
information on how to care for your pet at home.
Click here . . .
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 Mouse
and Rat Bait
Poisoning
One of the most common poisonings we see
in dogs and cats is from the ingestion of mouse
and rat baits. Fortunately, there is a treatment,
but it must be administered in time!
What should you do if your dog or cat eats mouse bait?
The first thing to do is to call me! Mouse and rat
bait poisoning can be deadly if not treated quickly.
If you know or suspect that your pet has eaten mouse or
rat bait, it is an emergency situation. Call us at
523-2513 immediately and we will tell you what to do.
The first step is to bring your pet in to the clinic.
It will be very helpful if you will bring the box the
poison came in as well. There are many different
poisons, and it will help us a lot to know which one it
was. When to come in? The sooner you come in
the more likely we are to be able to avoid serious
complications.
The second step is decontamination. This means we
will try to remove as much of the poison as possible. We
do this by inducing vomiting. This is usually
successful in removing a large amount of the poison if
we can get the patient here within an hour or so of
ingestion. Sooner is better. If it has been
a while since the patient ate the poison, we often will
give activated charcoal as well. Activated
charcoal absorbs poisons from the gut, preventing it
from being absorbed.
The third step is to start the antidote. Most
mouse and rat baits cause death by preventing the blood
from clotting. They do this by destroying an enzyme that
activates Vitamin K1. This results in the
deactivation of four clotting factors that depend on
vitamin K1 in order to function correctly. Blood
clotting is an extremely complex process, but suffice it
to say that clotting factors are elements in the blood
that make it clot properly. No clotting factors,
no blood clotting. No blood clotting, you bleed to
death internally.
By giving vitamin K1, we are able to overcome the
effects of the mouse baits. The new vitamin K1
allows the clotting factors to work properly, which
allows the blood to clot normally. It's not a
one-time deal, though. The newer mouse and rat
baits last a long time, and so we need to continue
treatment for up to four or even six weeks in some
cases.
Can your pet be poisoned by eating mice that have been
poisoned? Not likely. The modern baits are
designed to prevent this type of secondary poisoning.
If your pet's diet consists of nearly 100% mice, it
might happen, but under ordinary circumstances there is
not much to worry about.
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