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Pesticides 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. From the same 1990 AAPCC report mentioned in other areas of the health section, 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. Its a known fact that many Bengal breeders own farms. 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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