It is very common for people to use rat baits to help control the pests around their property. But even when we think we have everything secured and that our pets are not able to get to them, the reality has been that we commonly see pets that have been poisoned by them. Rat baits are made to be attractive for animals to want to eat them, and our pets are no exception to that.
A very important piece of information to know when treating rat bait ingestion cases is the type of rat bait that was used.
Unfortunately, there are several different types of poison that are used, and each one requires very different treatment. The EPA has guided the producers of the rat baits on potentially safer toxins that might not harm the wildlife as much. Some rat baits cause internal bleeding after few days of ingestion; others are meant to cause impairment of the nervous system; others interfere with calcium levels in the body, etc.
Some toxins require short treatment in the hospital, and others might require to continue treatment and monitoring for several months. Based on this, it is very important for people who use rat baits to keep the packaging to help the treating veterinarian to know how to appropriately treat the pet in a timely and appropriate manner.
What should you do in this situation?
Call Animal Poison Control when you are headed to the ER.
ASPCA Poison Control Phone Number:
You will receive a case number and a call back number. Our ER will need both.