What to do if your dog eats rat poison

Ingesting rat and mouse poison can be harmful to dogs. Read on to find out what to do if you think your dog has eaten any.

If your dog has ingested rat poison

Contact your vet immediately
Try to determine what type of poison your dog has ingested
Determine whether your dog has actually eaten the poison
Do not try and induce vomiting in your dog, this can cause more harm to your dog.

The impact of rat poison on dogs of different sizes

It can take 3-5 days before the effects of ingesting rat poison can be seen in your dog. And how quickly the poison affects your dog will depend on their size – and how much poison they ingested.

Smaller dogs are at higher risk of fatality after ingesting rat poison, but this also depends on how much they ate.

Symptoms of poisoning in your dog

The symptoms of eating rat poison can be difficult to detect – and again, this depends on how much your dog has ingested.

The effect on coagulation is usually seen 3-5 days after the dog has ingested poison.

Symptoms can show up as anything from bruises to major bleeding from mucous membranes in the nose, oral cavity and throat. They can also appear as blood in faeces and/or urine, or even internal bleeding.

Your dog may also have difficulty breathing and might struggle walking

Treating a dog that has ingested rat poison

Emetics and medical charcoal are sometimes prescribed to treat poisoning from eating rat poison.

Alternatively, vitamin K is given to dogs that have ingested a dangerous amount of rat poison. This is given for 10-30 days, depending on what type of poison your dog ingested.

Your vet may take blood samples to check for coagulation – and to determine whether a course of vitamin K should be prescribed. Your vet will also check for coagulation following treatment to ensure your dog has not relapsed.

In some extreme cases, blood transfusions and intensive care might be necessary.

Alphachloralose in mouse poison

Some mouse poisons contain alphachloralose. In the EU and UK, Alphachloralose is only approved for the indoor control of mice.

If your dog has eaten this type of poison, symptoms will usually manifest quickly – including convulsions and unconsciousness. Contact your vet immediately so they can provide the necessary treatment to your dog.

How to prevent your dog from ingesting rat or mouse poison

Ensure you don’t put rat or mouse poison out where dogs or children may be able to access – and ingest - it.

FAQS about rat poison and dogs

About the Author

Amanda Andersson is a content writer Agria Djurförsäkring in Sweden, specialising in animal welfare. Previous experience includes Volvo on Demand, and 60plusbanken in Sweden.