Home Remedy If a Dog Eats Rat Poison
Rat poison is a tempting snack and many dogs will stop at nothing to get it. Unfortunately, rat poison can have deadly consequences for your dog and requires fast action to treat.
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Symptoms and Effects
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Rat poison contains anticoagulants that prevent necessary blood clotting. Poisoned dogs begin bleeding several days after ingestion. By this time, it is often too late to reverse the effects. For this reason, it is important to monitor your dog anytime poison is near and to watch for any behavioral changes.
Induce Vomiting
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If your dog has ingested rat poison within the last two hours, immediately induce vomiting. This is best done at a veterinary hospital but can be done at home by having the dog drink hydrogen peroxide. This will not harm your dog, but will cause a sensation that triggers vomiting.
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Activated Charcoal
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If your dog has ingested rat poison more than two hours but less than 12 hours ago, you can give activated charcoal to help prevent absorption of the poison. Activated charcoal is sold in pill form and available at pharmacies.
Vitamin K
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Vitamin K can reverse the effects of rat poison. Dogs should be given 5mg of vitamin K per kg of body weight twice a day for three weeks or longer. Vitamin K can be administered as an injection by a veterinarian or in pill form available at pharmacies.
Veterinary Treatment
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If you believe there is even a possibility your dog has ingested rat poison, you should seek veterinary treatment immediately. In critical cases, IV fluids or blood transfusions may be needed. Only a veterinarian can adequately diagnose and treat rat poisoning.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Dog image by Westy;] from Fotolia.com
