A cat was poisoned by rat poison: how to recognize the symptoms of poisoning and help the animal

Adult cats and cats are real predators. Animals that have free range are happy to catch birds and mice. And especially seasoned cats do an excellent job even with rats. For humans, the extermination of rodents near residential buildings is very good, but for cats there may be danger lurking here. Cats can become poisoned by drugs used to kill rodents. If a cat eats a poisoned mouse, it begins to become intoxicated, which can be fatal.

How can a cat get poisoned?

Almost all poisons used to kill rodents are zoocoumarins.
These drugs reduce blood clotting and provoke various types of bleeding. Typically, the poison must be taken regularly for it to be effective. If a cat eats a poisoned mouse or rat once, then nothing threatens its health, but if eating rodents occurs repeatedly, then poisoning is possible. In addition, your pet can become poisoned if it periodically eats rat and mouse bait. There is a group of drugs that also belong to the latest generation of coumarins. These poisons are more toxic:

1. Zinc phosphide.
2. Bromethalin.
3. Sodium fluoroacetate.

Such drugs are very poisonous for animals; poisoning can result from consumption of bait or a rodent infected with poison. Food baits that are used to fight mice will be of little interest to a cat, since they are made on the basis of a grain mixture. But bait for rats is often made based on meat or fish products.

Information about poisons used against pests

In order for a specialist to determine effective treatment for a poisoned pet, you need to understand what poison led to acute intoxication. Practice shows that the most common chemical agents for exterminating small rodents are anticoagulants; zoocoumarins and zinc phosphides are used less frequently.

The poison affects the internal processes of the mouse’s body, preventing normal blood clotting. After a rodent has eaten the added chemical, it dies from bleeding, including internal bleeding. Rat poisons also affect internal organs and the cardiovascular nervous system. The main danger is that before death the mouse practically loses its strength. In fact, this is a very easy prey for even the laziest cat.

The very first artificially created rodenticide-based toxins were ineffective. The fact is that rodents developed immunity to the poison; repeated use did not have an effective effect. Modern poisons posed a serious danger to small rodents, which had acquired a stable immunity to weaker toxins.

These drugs include:

Difenacum

• Coumatetralyl;
• Difenacum;
• And others.

To understand that a rodent is poisoned by these particular poisons, you need to pay attention to some characteristic signs. Typically, a dead mouse will have traces of uncoagulated blood in the mouth area.

Manufacturers of rodent poisons face a difficult task. They must calculate a dosage that will not lead to immediate death for a pet that has managed to feast on a small pest. This was done specifically so that a person has time to provide first aid to a cat that has eaten a poisoned mouse.

Signs of a cat being poisoned by rat poison

If the cat is affected by rat poison or other poisons from the group of zoocoumarins, then the symptoms will be as follows:

• various bleedings - nasal, stomach, uterine. Hemorrhages appear in the oral cavity. These symptoms can develop within ten days after the toxic drug enters the body;
• vomiting – this symptom does not necessarily appear. Happens immediately after eating a poisoned rodent;
• internal bleeding - with such damage, the cat can die within a few days, without any obvious signs of poisoning.

You can recognize that poisons of this type are used in the area by looking at already dead rodents. They may notice blood coming from the rectum or mouth.

If a cat eats a mouse poisoned with rat poisons of other groups, the symptoms will be as follows:

• increased excitability, nervousness, atypical dynamism;
• complete loss of coordination - the animal’s gait is unstable, its paws get tangled, and the cat falls over on its side. There may be involuntary head shaking;
• neurological manifestations - convulsions, twitching of muscles and paws;
• body temperature rises significantly;
• the animal becomes lethargic and drowsy.

When the first signs of poisoning appear, your pet must be taken to a veterinary clinic!

Symptoms of poisoning

The principles of action of the poison directly determine what symptoms your pet will have if poisoned.

So, if an animal ate a poison from the category of zoocoumarins, then it:

1. There will be bleeding from the nose. There may also be blood discharge in the stool or urine.
2. Vomit. Maybe normal or mixed with blood.
3. Cramps.
4. Tachycardia.
5. Refusal to eat.
6. Heat.
7. Shortness of breath.

The most insidious thing about rat poisoning is the late onset of symptoms. So, depending on the effect of the drug, symptoms may appear after 4-6 days or even 2-4 weeks. A poisoned cat may feel well at first and not show any signs of poisoning. Therefore, it is so important to constantly monitor the cat and know how to properly provide him with first aid if necessary.

© shutterstock

First aid for a cat in case of poisoning

What should you do first if your cat has eaten a rodent and is worried? The sequence of actions is given below:

• Induce vomiting - this procedure makes sense only if the cat has eaten suspicious food in full view of the owners. Otherwise, the poison has long been absorbed into the bloodstream, and vomiting will cause the condition to worsen due to dehydration. To provoke vomiting in a cat, you need to give a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide and water in equal parts. A teaspoon of this solution is per 2 kg of cat weight. You can use a concentrated solution of table salt or sprinkle a pinch of soda on your cat's tongue. The prepared solutions are infused into the cat by force, using a syringe without a needle or syringe.
• To neutralize toxins in the stomach, the cat is given any sorbent that is available in the home medicine cabinet. The drug is dissolved in half a glass of warm water and poured into the pet’s mouth.
• Next, the cat is fed any enveloping foods that will reduce the absorption of poison into the mucous membranes. It can be raw eggs, milk jelly, or a decoction of flaxseeds.

Sorbents and products that envelop the mucous membrane are given to the animal only after vomiting has completely stopped.

• Three hours after the last dose of the coating agent, the cat is given a laxative. A 2% solution of magnesium or sodium sulfate, castor oil or petroleum jelly are suitable for this.
• Rinse the intestines with an enema. About 30 ml of saline solution or clean water is injected into the cat's rectum.

The enema liquid should be taken slightly warm. Hotter water promotes stronger absorption of toxins into the blood.

If the cat's symptoms indicate the action of anticoagulants, drugs that interfere with blood clotting, then vitamin K is injected into the muscle in a dosage of 1-2 ml. A pet's recovery is usually long and can range from three weeks to three months.

A fairly common poison for exterminating rodents is zinc phosphide. It threatens the life of a cat only when bait containing rodent poison has been eaten. When a cat eats a mouse or rat that is poisoned with this poison, there is no danger to health. When directly eating the bait, the cat’s first signs appear within a short time and look like this:

• uncontrollable vomiting, sometimes streaked with blood;
• severe pain in the gastrointestinal tract;
• a characteristic smell of rotten fish appears from the oral cavity;
• respiratory function becomes difficult;
• convulsions appear.

If the cat is not quickly provided with emergency assistance, then death occurs within a short period of time.

If an animal is intoxicated with zinc phosphide, first aid consists of washing the stomach with a 0.5% solution of copper sulfate and a 2% solution of baking soda. Medicines containing aluminum and magnesium, such as Maalox, can be given.

How can one get poisoned?

Poison from rats and mice is a serious toxic substance that can lead to the death of the animal. The poison is used to get rid of rodents; it is placed in places where unpleasant individuals accumulate. There are many reasons and factors that provoke poisoning. How does animal poisoning occur?

Factors:

• The main cause of overdose in felines is the consumption of poisoned rodents. The poison does not have time to leave the body of the rat or mouse and ends up in the stomach of the cat.
• The substance is often given a pleasant odor to attract mice and rats. However, the cat itself can often eat the poison and become poisoned.

Compounds that interfere with blood clotting are often added to drugs for rodents. Mice die from internal bleeding. In cats, rat poison destroys vitamin K and causes problems in the circulatory system.

Manufacturers are trying to produce products with a dosage at which the animal does not die immediately, and it remains possible to provide first aid to it.

The rehabilitation period for a cat after poisoning

For any degree of poisoning, the cat needs to be examined by a veterinarian and prescribed adequate treatment. Even with the pet’s apparent health, the consequences can continue to manifest themselves for a long time. In addition to medications, the cat needs proper care and diet.

Within 24 hours after the first symptoms of poisoning appear, the cat is given only water and sorbents. From the second day you can start feeding the animal in small portions several times a day. The following products are used in cat food:

• boiled meat - horse meat, veal, lean beef, chicken breast;
• fish of different varieties, but not too fatty;
• boiled liver;
• vegetables - boiled carrots, beets, cauliflower;
• viscous porridges - oatmeal, buckwheat, rice.

A few days after poisoning, you can start giving small amounts of raw foods - meat, liver, fish, eggs. Liver is given raw only when you are confident in the high quality of the product and there are no signs of liver infection by parasites. Otherwise, it is better to boil it a little. Meat and fish are ground into minced meat for better digestion by a weakened stomach. You can make something like a fish and meat pate, which will be rich in minerals and vitamins. It is better to boil the egg white, it is difficult for the stomach to process, but the yolk can be added to the porridge raw.

Dairy products are gradually being reintroduced into the cat's diet. This can be low-fat milk, cottage cheese and low-fat cheese. You can give bifidokefir, which stimulates the intestinal mucosa well and helps avoid constipation.

All food for a cat during the rehabilitation period should be light, fresh and easily digestible.

What not to give to a cat after poisoning

After poisoning, the cat is strictly prohibited from giving the following products:

• dry food of any class. Regardless of whether it is a budget food or a premium one, it causes severe irritation to the stomach, which has not had time to recover after the poison entered the body;
• canned cat food - this food is not healthy, it does not contain the necessary enzymes that improve digestion. Canned food should only be offered to a cat in exceptional cases;
• offal – it is worth removing tripe, udder and kidneys from the cat’s diet for a while. Boiled beef heart can be given in limited quantities;
• legumes in any form cause bloating;
• confectionery products – a high carbohydrate content is not desirable for an organism that has just experienced severe intoxication;
• bread and pasta are difficult to digest due to the weakened gastric mucosa. May cause stagnation in the digestive system.

Your cat may have poor appetite for a long time after poisoning. Under no circumstances should you force feed her. Sometimes you have to keep the animal on IVs for several days.

When to go to the hospital

If a cat is poisoned by rat poison, then contacting a medical facility is mandatory. The veterinarian will examine the animal and carry out the necessary diagnostics. After receiving the examination results, suitable treatment is selected. However, first of all, an antidote must be administered. For rat poison, this is vitamin K1, sometimes it is replaced with the drug Vikasol.

In the first stages of poisoning, the antidote is administered in large volumes by injection. After the cat’s condition has stabilized, the medicine can be given in tablets. Additional medications are required to normalize the animal’s condition.

Ten days later, an additional examination is carried out to determine the level of platelets in the blood. If the indicator is close to normal, treatment can be completed. If treatment of poisoning is started on time, the prognosis is favorable.

After poisoning, you need to carefully monitor the animal's diet. The diet includes dietary products with low fat content; it is recommended to avoid industrial feed for a while. You can’t force feed your cat, as the appetite will gradually be restored.

We recommend: Poisoning a cow with feed, apples, table salt

Consequences of cat poisoning by mouse

Any poison causes severe intoxication of the body and disables all important organs and systems. A particularly toxic substance for animals is rat poison, which is used to control rodents. There may be no consequences of poisoning, but they may be very severe:

1. Acute liver damage, which leads to organ enlargement and chronic jaundice.
2. Neurological diseases - paralysis of limbs, loss of coordination.
3. Changes in the organs of vision - with severe poisoning, a cat may develop optic nerve atrophy and blindness.
4. Hearing impairment.
5. Disorders of the urinary system - urinary incontinence and chronic inflammation of the bladder.
6. Persistent allergic reactions, which are accompanied by hair loss and itching.
7. Reproductive dysfunction.
8. Comatose state and death.

Diagnosis and treatment

The diagnosis of rodenticide poisoning is made based on the owner's story, clinical symptoms of intoxication, blood tests for the presence of anticoagulants, urine tests and the body's response to treatment.

After emergency measures are taken and the animal is stabilized, he is prescribed maintenance therapy lasting several weeks, during which he will need to take Vitamin K1 tablets.

Discontinuation of treatment is based on a trial of drug withdrawal and control blood clotting tests.

The antidote for other types of rat poisons, as well as for arsenic, mercury and other thiol poisons, is Unithiol (human preparation). It is used, for example, if the poison contains arsenic in addition to zoocoumarin.

The prognosis for recovery depends on the type of poison and its amount, the time of diagnosis and the start of proper treatment. Under favorable circumstances it is approximately 83%.

Unfortunately, late onset of symptoms and untimely treatment at the clinic, and the lack of an antidote often lead to death.

Since vitamin K is metabolized in the liver, the prognosis for animals with disease in this organ is much worse.

How to protect your cat from poisoning

Cats are animals that walk on their own. Unlike dogs, it is difficult for them to put on a collar and dictate the path of a walk. These animals love freedom and independence. To avoid severe poisoning in cats, you need to follow a few rules. A cat should always be fed before walking; with a full stomach, it will not look for food on the street. You should not scatter poisoned bait for rodents in the house and surrounding area; it is better to use the services of a sanitation station.

Love your pets and be extremely attentive to them. If your cat shows signs of illness, do not turn a blind eye. It depends on the actions of the owner how quickly the cat recovers from poisoning and whether it will have any consequences. The person’s task is to deliver the cat to the hospital as quickly as possible.

Poisonous insect bites

Fortunately, these types of poisonings are extremely rare in our country. In extreme cases, a cat may be stung by a wasp or a bee, but intoxication as such does not occur. The development of an allergic reaction is much more likely (which, however, is in no way safer for the cat). All this is treated with antihistamines. If you live in the southern regions of the country, where poisonous spiders/scorpions can be found, always keep the serum on hand (and this is relevant not only for treating animals). If you suspect that your pet has been bitten by someone and he does not get up, be sure to visit a veterinary clinic. We advise you not to delay this!