My dog may have been exposed to rat poison. What are the signs?
I have been having some rat and mouse problems in the house and have been using rat poison. My dog has killed a few. He now seems to be a little under the weather, though there are no definite symptoms. Could he have contracted a disease from the rodents through their blood when he bit into them? Could he have been exposed to rat poison by biting a poisoned rat? Signs may include lethargy, breathing difficulty, bleeding and anemia. There are not many diseases that rodents can transmit to other species, but salmonellosis and tapeworms are possibilities. The thing that I am concerned about is what you are using to control the rodents. Poisons that are left out to kill rodents can be extremely toxic and life-threatening if ingested by your dog. Most of these cause a bleeding disorder and require prompt veterinary attention in order to treat them successfully. Most rat poisons work by inhibiting certain liver enzymes involved in the formation of vitamin K-1. The activated vitamin plays a c
