Drugs: Rodenticides - XXX
Description
This article is from the Pet Owner's Guide to Common Small Animal Poisons, by Julie Dahlke, DVM, a graduate of the University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary Medicine.
Drugs: Rodenticides - XXX
Poisons intended to kill rats, mice, gophers, moles and other
mammalian pests are among the most common and deadly of small animal
toxins. Since rodent and other pests and our companion animal dogs and
cats are all mammals, it follows that substances highly poisonous to
the pests would be just as lethal to our pets, and indeed that is the
case. In the 1990 AAPCC report, 8% of all non-drug toxin exposures
resulted from rodenticides and of 425 fatalities, 60 (14%) of deaths
were subsequent to these poisons. Commonly, owners have all but
forgotten the old rat poison in the garage cabinet until it gets
knocked onto the ground and the dog has eaten it. Or on farms or
stables, rat poison is left in what seems like a safe place to attract
only the rats and then the empty chewed container is seen outside the
doghouse. It cannot be too highly stressed that rodenticides are
highly toxic and any such poisons designed to kill small mammals need
to be carefully contained in closed metal cabinets or high on stable
shelving. The poisons usually come in flimsy cardboard containers and
any dog, puppy or cat can chew through the container to get at the
bait. Unfortunately, every year far too many do just that.
Rodenticides are classified according to both their basic ingredient
compounds and by how they act on their target. These categories
include: Anti-coagulant rodenticides, cholecalciferol, strychnine,
zinc phosphide, bromethalin, compound 1080 and more. The most common
rodenticide poisoning seen in veterinary practice is that of the
anti-coagulant rodenticides. These poisons -- with ingredient names
like warfarin, fumarin, diphacinone, bromadiolone -- act by
interfering with the animal's ability to utilize Vitamin K. One of
they key roles of Vitamin K is in the production of coagulation
factors in the body which cause blood to clot when necessary. Although
we are not aware of it, normal physiological processes require blood
to clot many times a day in our bodies and that of our pets. Without
the necessary coagulation factors, normal minor bleeding in the body
goes unchecked which, without treatment, becomes major bleeding, with
blood loss anemia, hemorrhage and death resulting. With most
anti-coagulant rodenticides, signs are not seen until 3-5 days after
the pet has ingested the poison. Clinical signs include weakness,
difficult breathing, pale mucous membranes, and bleeding from the
nose.
Other types of rodenticides have different mechanisms of action with
some (i.e., strychnine and bromethalin) causing neurological signs
such as incoordination, seizures and others cardiac failure (i.e.,
cholecalciferol). If accidental ingestion of rat poison is suspected,
contact your veterinary clinic immediately, even if your dog or cat is
showing no obvious signs of being ill. Be sure, if possible, to bring
the poison container in to the clinic in order to determine the
specific toxin and provide the best treatment. Early recognition is
critical as some poisons, particularly the anti-coagulant
rodenticides, can be successfully treated if the poisoning is caught
early and treated appropriately.
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