*HELP* I Think My Dog Just Ate Rat Poison

Lima Golf

I brought my 1 year old Maltese to a friends house. He was playing outside in her back garden. When I went out to check on him he was dragging a small dish with rat poison in it across the patio. My friend forgot it was out there. I didn't see him eat any, he was just dragging the dish but its definitely possible he has eaten some. Has anyone any advice on what I should do? Is there anything I can give him until I take him to the vets in the morning? This incident happened at 12:30am. Should I try and get him to a vet right away? I'm very worried and I feel terrible for not keeping a closer eye on him. He seems fine at the minute. I'm afraid to give him food or water so I've lifted his bowls. Any advice is much appreciated.

gctest50

First thing to do if at all possible is to get the original container the poison was in when it was bought so the vet will know what approach to take straight away.

AlmightyCushion

It's rat poison not dog poison. Your dog should be fine.

DBB

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

It's rat poison not dog poison. Your dog should be fine.

If the dog has eaten rat poison, he most certainly will not be fine. Bloody hell *facepalm*
Rat poison is toxic to all mammals, this is an emergency, though one that either needs to be dealt with immediately after ingestion, or if a matter of hours later, via a lengthy course of Vitamin K to counteract the effects of the toxin, usually warfarin.
OP, I would call your vets emergency number, though they may tell you he'll be okay til morning. It's their call though, not yours or mine, or anyone else here!
If your friend can recall how much poison was originally in the dish, it'll help give an idea how much your dog may have consumed. Was it blue pellets? You'll need to know the brand name, Storm is the most common and is made up of blue pellets.

dodderangler

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

It's rat poison not dog poison. Your dog should be fine.

Not really
It's a Maltese so depending on how much it ate if it did it could be in trouble As they size is against them in this case
I'd suggest keepin an eye on the dog and first thing in the mornin go to vets

Lima Golf

Thanks for the replies. I've gotten the box the poison came in. I rang my vets "out of hours service" and there was no reply...

I've left a voicemail so hopefully someone will contact me back. At this stage of the night I'd say he won't be seen until the morning.

I'll keep a close eye on him until then. Anyone know if I should give him anything to drink? He seems quite thirsty. He was trying to lick water off the footpath outside but I'm afraid to give him any.

I'm really hoping he'll be okay. I'd be devastated if anything happened to him. I'm also hoping its not going to cost an arm and a leg at the vets as i really cant afford another big bill at the moment. I'll let you know how things go

areyawell

If he has consumed rat poison shouldnt he be drinking plenty of water? rat poision makes animals dehydrated

artyeva

i know when my sister's dog ate rat poison the vet told her afterwards that the best think to do straight away is try and induce vomiting, so maybe giving food or dink may not be a good idea? not sure how practical that advice is for you though, if you can't see a vet till the morning. do you have any hydrogen peroxide? doesn't that induce vomiting? i'm not sure.

gctest50

Lima Golf wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. I've gotten the box the poison came in.

There might be a 24-hour phone number somewhere on the box , could be anywhere on it.

What kind of poison is it ?

IvySlayer

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

It's rat poison not dog poison. Your dog should be fine.

Most rat poison are blood thinners, dangerous to all animals.

Symptoms may or may not start to show for at least 24-48 hours. Don't take any risks, just get him to a vet asap.

Goat the dote

If it were my dog (and I have huge dogs) I'd be getting them to a vet ASAP. Know a dog (big pup of a large breed) who died after eating rat poison.

JustAThought

Goat the dote wrote: »

If it were my dog ) I'd be getting them to a vet ASAP. Know a dog (big pup of a large breed) who died after eating rat poison.

Ditto here.
My vets usually have a recorded message of whomever vet is on emergency call - ring them now ( it's Dublin-I'm not sure where you are)

<Phone no. snipped>

I don't know; but isn't hydrogen peroxide deadly? Dont go giving that to you dog.
I read only today that warfarin can cause internal bleeding & so you may not see signs....just go now & Ring my vet - Pat Keeling in Raheny - youll get a recorded message -see who it says the vet on duty is,it will give thenumber- ring them & ask.
It might be they recommend making your poor dog sick with salt water - or oil- it could be that simple. Thou dehydration can cause death & salt water can cause dehydration....
Don't take chances & asking is free at least. You might save big vets bills & lots of angst & heartbreak by ringing now - that's what they have the service for.

Good luck.

Rasheed

EDIT:^^^^^^ Good suggestion, Hope he's ok!

Is there any other vet you can call? Even just to verify the drink/ eat question?

Lima Golf

Just an update. Took my dog to the vet first thing this morning. They're keeping him in for the day.

Just in reply to a few posts the poison was storm. Also thank you very much for posting the phone number of you're vet. I had gone to bed at that stage so I didn't see it until this morning but it was very good of you. I really do appreciate the help from everyone. I was totally at a loss as to what to do last night.

They said it was very common in the vets office and that there should be no issues as he was brought in early. They said if the dog was showing symptoms of being ill, not eating, blood in this pee, poo or mouth, poor balance etc then it's too late and the dogs chances are slim. Thankfully he has none of these symptoms so fingers crossed.

Mansized Wreath

Hope he'll be ok. Maltise are a great dog.

DBB

Mansized Wreath wrote: »

Hope he'll be ok. Maltise are a great dog.

I have to admit to a shockin fondness for them too!
Early action is really important, if the poison is let do its work, by the time the symptoms show, it's usually too late.
Glad your little pooch is in safe hands now OP, just as well you copped his new "toy" out in your friend's garden!
Keep us posted on his progress.

SnowDrifts

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

It's rat poison not dog poison. Your dog should be fine.

This statement is the reason why you should never rely on forum comments. People who haven't got a clue, should keep their mouths shut.

Happened my Bichon a few years back - caught it straight away and brought her to the vet where he induced her to vomit. She had actually consumed a fair bit of poison (storm). She was fine after that. Vet commented on how often it happens and if it's left too late ... well, not good.

Sounds like your Maltese should be fine hopefully.

keno-daytrader

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

It's rat poison not dog poison. Your dog should be fine.

This is perhaps the worst advice Ive seen on Boards ever. Rat poison can be fatal to dogs in a matter of a few hours.

For God sakes retract your statement please in case anyone reads it later and actually takes you seriously Not sure if your takin the pxxx, ask your self if you ingested rat poison would you seek medical attention or would you say, ah its only rat poison.

Papillon!

awh really hope he's okay. Keep us posted. Poor lil guy

MarkR

For future reference, you can induce vomiting by throwing a spoon of salt down them. Still contact the vet, but it's a start.

artyeva

JustAThought wrote: »

I don't know; but isn't hydrogen peroxide deadly? Dont go giving that to you dog.

no, it's not deadly per se - you can use it with caution and common sense - it's used in some toothpastes and whiteners and mouthwashes after all!! and i was sure i've read that it can be used as an emetic [things that induce vomiting] like salt, mustard powder, etc and after a bit of research today it seems it can, but probably best under vet's advice.

op i hope your wee doggie is on the mend anyway. he's lucky he's got such a vigilent owner that caught it in time

Birdnuts

Lima Golf wrote: »

I brought my 1 year old Maltese to a friends house. He was playing outside in her back garden. When I went out to check on him he was dragging a small dish with rat poison in it across the patio.

Thats why such rodenticides should only be used in pet proof bait boxes or pipes as per instructions that come with such pesticides. Leaving it out in a dish risks randomly poisoning pets/wildife and is actually illegal as the product is not licensed for use in that way.

Kinzig

A teaspoon of salt placed on the dogs tongue , should make him vomit if swallowed.

Lima Golf

Doggy is home he's in great form but am told to keep a close eye on him for the next few days and take him back to vets if I see any changes in him. He was given laxatives and lots of fluids to flush him out. I also have a 3 week prescription of vitamin K1 to stop the blood from thinning.

Anyway for anyone who encounters a similar problem, here according to my vet is what you should do:

1) if you suspect your dog has eaten rat poison induce vomiting within 2 hours. This can be done by placing a syringe with 2 or 3 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide into the back of the dogs mouth, alternatively a tablespoon of salt, mixed with a little water. Do not induce vomiting if you think they've swallowed something acid based, bleach, petrol etc. you can do more damage than good.

2) bring the dog to a vet ASAP. If you bring them in under 2 hours they will induce vomiting and prescribe vitamin K1. If like me it was 8/9 hours later they will flush the dog out using laxatives and fluids and again prescribe vitamin K1

3) bring the dog back to the surgery after the course of tablets have been completed or if you notice any negative changes in the dog. After completing the course of tablets the vet may decide on another 3 weeks of the tablets.

4) symptoms of poisoning include vomiting, lack of appetite, bleeding from nose or mouth, blood in feces or urine, poor balance. It is important not to wait for these symptoms to devolp as it can often mean its too late to provide effective treatment. Symptoms take between 24 - 48 hours to appear. So don't hang about

5) vitamin K1 can be given in tablet or injection form. It is not cheap. Thankfully because my dog is so small he needs very little but if you have a bigger dog it can be very expensive. 3 weeks worth of tablets was €25, so €50 if hes kept on it for 6 weeks. He weighs 10lbs so I wouldn't fancy having to buy a Great Danes worth! Apparently a course of tablets for very large dogs can cost hundreds.

nala2012

Our 60kg mastiff ate two poisened rats last year. We knew something was wrong because he was drinking loads of water and shivering. He ended up staying at the vets for a night on a drip she induced vomiting and said she'd never had a dog puke up as much as he did! He was on vitamin k for 3 weeks after and they did blood tests too. Think it cost about 300

SweetCaliber

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

It's rat poison not dog poison. Your dog should be fine.

My friends dog ate rat poison and died a couple days later. So yes, it can be really harmful to dogs, not just rats.

Lima Golf

nala2012 wrote: »

Our 60kg mastiff ate two poisened rats last year. We knew something was wrong because he was drinking loads of water and shivering. He ended up staying at the vets for a night on a drip she induced vomiting and said she'd never had a dog puke up as much as he did! He was on vitamin k for 3 weeks after and they did blood tests too. Think it cost about 300

Was your mastiff okay after it? Was he sick whilst on the tablets or acting as normal? Just wondering what I can expect for the next 3 weeks

falabo

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

It's rat poison not dog poison. Your dog should be fine.

I am APPAULED to be reading things like this. Can this comment actualLy be REMOVED ?

markas

JustAThought wrote: »

Ditto here.
My vets usually have a recorded message of whomever vet is on emergency call - ring them now ( it's Dublin-I'm not sure where you are)

<Phone no. snipped>

I don't know;

Mods,
How about adding few emergency phone nos. to the FAQ Sticky?

nala2012

He was fine after the visit to the vets she just checked his bloods after 3 weeks to make sure everything was normal

podgemonster

Lost my dog to Rat poison when she was 7, was so far gone and in pain she had to be put down. A cocker spaniel.

Delighted to her the OP's dog is ok.