Dog eating a may be poisoned rat-how serious?

[Bart308]

Hi,
Just wondering if any one has any experience of this. My 6 month old GWPxLab got hold of and swallowed a rat today (greedy bitch woofed it down before the terriers could mug her) i don't know if the rat was dead or not before the dogs got hold of it but do know there is bait down (slaymor -0.005% bromadiolone). I tried to get her to throw up but nothing came out so although she seemed fine decided to take her the vets (not cheap on a sunday £120 consulation fee!). Our usual rual vets was closed so ended up using the out of hours service in Doncaster who did not seem to know that much about these sort of things.

initally he wanted to do blood tests at £200, when I asked what he would do if they came back positive for low clotting factor he said give vit K1 so I asked why can he not just give the K1 now which he did for £30 for 4 tablets (two days worth).
I now need to see my vet for the rest of the Vit K1 course.

How dangerous would a poisened rat have been if left without treatment?
Cheers
PB

 

[scubadog]

I am led to believe it is not that serious.
I seem to remember a figure being put on it that a dog or cat would have to eat x amount of poisoned rats before I became an issue. The x value was some high figure (at least tens of rats).
That being said I don't blame you for going to the vet even if was to just get the vit K wich I am led to believe is the only treatment.

 

[lowfarm]

it depends on how much poison the rat ingested and wether it had digested it or not, is it really worth taking the risk that it might not be that bad because it was only one? in any case of suspected rat poisoning wether from direct ingestion of the poisoning or in this case consumption of a dead rat i would always go straight to the vet and get the vit k treatment, my thinking is how would i feel if i didnt and the dog got seriously ill, better to be safe than sorry as past a certain point vit k wont help. blood tests are usually a waste of both time and money as by the time they come back it may already be too late. i know its cost you a lot of money but i feel you have done the best thing for the dog especially a young puppy for whom even a small dose of poison could have been very serious

 

[Bart308]

Cheers for the replies

Thats what I was thinking- better safe than sorry.

 

[lowfarm]

without the Vit K she may have been dead within 4 to 6 hours mate best course is not all ways the cheapest

 

[Bart308]

It was 6 hours ago and she is bounching about looking ok- so fingers crossed she should be ok.

 

[Apache]

These things are always a difficult call, and I honestly don't know how 'hard' to treat them.

Personally I have never seen a dog ill from eating a poisoned rat, that doesn't mean it can't happen. The dogs I have seen sick have all eaten neat bait. Often a few days ago.

To get over the resistance to warfrin these drugs have very long half lives and the dog may well need treating with Vitamin K for over a month.

I had a farm dog recently die whilst I was collecting blood from another dog to give to it. Don't underestimate these poisons.

(IIRC the toxic dose for dogs is something like 10X the lethal dose for rats (in mg/kg) so the risk is low, but still there).

I'd still see the dog, make it sick and give vitamin K.

 

[timbrayford]

One of my spaniels played with and chewed a rat poison cube a few years ago. I took her to the vets and she was given a vitamin K jab and tablets. I also phoned the poison manufacturers, they told me that a lethal dose was 10 x the animals body weight taken over 2 feeds. Regarding secondary poisoning by eating the rats I think that this has been done experimentally with Barn Owls - if I recall the details correctly 18 rats were the lethal dose.

atb Tim

 

[Apache]

they told me that a lethal dose was 10 x the animals body weight taken over 2 feeds.

Wouldn't kill anything then...................

 

[timbrayford]

Wouldn't kill anything then...................

It just goes to show how much one rat can eat

 

[badbob]

secondary poisoning is more likely if dog gets into habit of eating dead rats,
on a regular basis, like on a farm.
Red kites have been particularly prone to this.
​
real danger is a dog wolfing down poison bait,
so make sure the bulk stock and bait stations are pet proof.

 

[Bart308]

Just been to pick up the rest of the vit K from our vet tonight who check her over as well. All looks good and she agreed that the blood test would not have been needed.
Thanks for all the replies.
Cheers
Paul

 

[stalker.308]

A dog of a 'gundog trainer' neighbor of ours some years ago picked up a dead rat whilst he was training it and took it to him, he swore and cursed at me and said his dog would die, a phonecall to our vets said his dog would have had to have eaten it, and then 10 more to have even made a impact on the dog....