Cat poisoned by rat poison symptoms what to do

If the pet is walking in the street, it is more difficult to keep track of it. It is advisable to buy and keep on hand first aid remedies – laxatives, diuretics, vitamins K and D3, activated charcoal. You should remember the phone number of your veterinarian so that you can contact him immediately.

Toxic poisoning of the body with poisonous substances

Symptoms of poisoning are difficult to confuse with signs of other diseases. Excruciating nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and headache significantly reduce the quality of human life, make adjustments to long-planned plans. The pharmaceutical industry and the chemical industry are rapidly evolving – every day on the shelves of pharmacies and stores appear new drugs, household chemicals, plant growth stimulants. Improper use or storage of chemicals can lead to toxic poisoning, sometimes leading to death.

Poisoning is a disruption of the functional activity of all life systems after toxins have entered the human body. Medics distinguish between intentional and unintentional poisoning. The latter most often occurs when a toxic substance is handled carelessly, stored or exceeded the dosage.

Young children often experience painful symptoms of poisoning because of their heightened curiosity about everything bright and unusual. They are attracted to beautiful poisonous plants, neat medicine boxes, and interesting aerosol cans. Adults contribute to intoxication in kids by storing drugs and fertilizers in easily accessible places.

Even with all the precautions when handling a toxic compound, a person can not always protect themselves from intoxication, for example, during the accidental release of toxic substances into the environment. There are two main types of possible intoxication.

1. Acute poisoning. Develops upon any contact with a toxic substance. Symptoms can manifest after only a few minutes. The kidneys, liver, and lungs are affected by the destructive effects of the poison. The condition requires immediate hospitalization of the victim to determine the type of toxic compound and administration of an antidote.
2. Chronic poisoning. Extremely dangerous disease due to the lack of pronounced signs of pathology. The person has no idea that the poison is accumulating in his body, writing off the fever and tremors of the extremities to another cold. As a rule, chronic poisoning by a toxic compound is diagnosed accidentally, during examination for other diseases.

Types of toxins and their effects on the human body

Possible poisoning by toxic substances lies in wait for a person at every step. Even a harmless ascorbic acid overdose can send a person to a hospital bed for a long time. Which can cause intoxication if used and stored improperly:

A toxic compound can form directly in the human body. Endocrine system malfunction, reduced immunity, systemic or chronic diseases occur against the background of increased concentration of harmful substances in the bloodstream.

The selectivity of the poison causes different symptoms in the affected person. This property is extremely important in diagnosing poisoning and determining the type of toxic substance. How harmful compounds behave in the human body:

1. Neurotoxic effects. After the use of drugs, sedatives, antidepressants can occur mental disorders, seizures, respiratory disorders. The same effect occurs when poisoning with drugs to treat tuberculosis, alcohol, carbon monoxide.
2. Cardiotonic effect. Overdose with cardiac glycosides, potassium salts, barium causes arrhythmias of various etiology, has a pathological effect on the cardiovascular system.
3. Hepatotoxic effects. Chlorinated hydrocarbons, phenol, acetic aldehyde provoke irreversible death of liver cells. Poisonous mushrooms, especially fly agaric and pale grebes, start destroying hepatocytes immediately after entering the bloodstream.
4. Nephrotoxic effects. Heavy metals, ethyl alcohol, mercury, chlorine cause acute as well as chronic renal failure. The paired organs lose their ability to filter blood and excrete urine. There is damage to the renal parenchyma, calyx, pelvis, nephrons.
5. Hematotoxic effects. Virtually every toxic compound has a similar effect on the human body. Once inside the bloodstream, poison molecules bind and destroy red blood cells. Active oxygen stops flowing to the brain, which contributes to pulmonary edema, cardiac arrest, and respiratory distress.

Zoocoumarin poisoning in cats

At the same time, experts note that the body temperature may remain normal, and the symptoms develop gradually. Bleeding in the pleural area and abdomen may remain unnoticed by the human eye. The animal withers, and the owner does not know the cause.

Timely diagnosis of poisoning is the key to successful treatment. To make an accurate diagnosis, the anamnesis is extremely important (what the animal ate the day before and what the symptoms were at the beginning). As a rule, the veterinarian begins treatment immediately, based only on suspicion of intoxication by poisons.

This is because it takes several days to confirm the exact diagnosis, and any delay may be fatal.

The basis of diagnosis is clinical signs of zoocoumarin poisoning and laboratory tests (general and biochemical blood tests). Blood tests can detect thrombocytopenia, increased levels of alkaline phosphatase and hepatic enzymatic substances. This is associated with the onset of oxygen deprivation. The time of fibrin fiber clot formation increases.

Instrumental studies can determine the severity of the pathology. Ultrasound examination and electrocardiogram are used. Ultrasound diagnosis allows you to determine the degree of involvement of internal organs in the abdominal cavity.

When examining the work of the heart muscle against the background of zoocoumarin poisoning, abnormalities of rhythm and overall pulse conduction are observed. It is important to use electrocardiogram also during the treatment of the animal during intoxication, giving the possibility to control the onset of possible complications from the heart and vascular work.

Differentiation plays a separate role in the diagnostic measures. The cause of intra-abdominal bleeding in a cat and the development of other similar symptoms to zoocoumarin poisoning may be:

1. Thrombohemorrhagic syndrome is a pathology associated with disorders of blood clotting factors with massive release of thromboplastic substances from tissue structures. The pathological process may not manifest itself for a long time, but with shock conditions, serious trauma and bacterial contamination of the blood can go into an active phase.
2. Willerbrand's disease is a pathological process that develops against the background of genetic abnormalities in the formation of platelets.
3. Diseases of the liver structures.

Preventive measures against rat poisoning

Measures of prevention of intoxication by zoocoumarins are to create conditions that prevent possible contact of the pet with rat poison. It is important to make sure that the cat always has fresh food and access to water.

A well-fed animal is unlikely to go looking for food elsewhere. If the cat has free access to the street and may visit places where rodents are poisoned (basements of residential buildings, dumps and garbage dumps), you should try to keep it away from these places.

If the cat exhibits characteristic symptoms of ill health, it is important to go to the veterinarian's office immediately. Even if the cause of the pet's apathy and lethargy is not rat poison poisoning, a preventive diagnosis will not hurt.

Due to the high volume of questions, free veterinary consultations have been temporarily suspended.

Non-standard poisonings in cats

• Incorrect dosage of medication when treating any disease, or self-treatment with drugs that are contraindicated for animals;
• Poisons, most commonly rat poison. Both poison baits and rodents that have ingested the bait are dangerous to cats;
• poisonous plants;
• Chemical substances, especially those that emit vapors. These are paint products, household chemicals, pesticides used to treat plants. Poisoning occurs through the respiratory organs or mucous membranes;
• Overdose of drugs against fleas, ticks or helminthes;
• Bites from insects or snakes.

Sometimes the impact of poisonous chemicals on the body occurs gradually, in which case the intoxication is difficult to notice immediately. In a cat poisoned by chemicals characteristic manifestations may occur when the consequences become irreversible, and in this situation it is not always possible to save the animal.

If a cat is poisoned by chemicals, it is necessary, without waiting for the symptoms to appear, contact the veterinary clinic as soon as possible. In some cases, it may be necessary to give the cat an antidote, and what kind of antidote can only be determined at the clinic.

There are cases when poisoning in a cat is caused by alcohol or chocolate, when people give them for fun. Prolonged stay in a room where a lot of people smoke is also dangerous for animals.

Signs of poisoning

Symptoms of poisoning in cats are manifold, but only a few of them may manifest. Common signs of poisoning in cats are:

• Nausea, which is expressed by the fact that the pet very often licks his nose, while smacking;
• salivation;
• vomiting. Vomiting may be with bile or blood, or without bile or blood;
• diarrhea;
• lack of appetite;
• Rapid breathing, often shallow;
• abdominal pain, which may be accompanied by a meow, or may be noticeable only by pressing on the abdomen;
• increase in temperature;
• dilated pupils. Sometimes a third eyelid becomes noticeable in poisoned animals.

In addition, the behavior, the general condition of the pet changes. There may be lethargy or, on the contrary, overexcitation. There may be impaired coordination of movement. In severe cases, tremors, seizures, paralysis may be observed.

If the symptoms are found, and the cat may have been poisoned, you must be sure before you do anything at home. Such symptoms may not only indicate poisoning, but also other serious illnesses. It is important to find out if the cat is poisoned or not, as soon as possible. It is necessary to analyze what may have caused it. If the cause is not found, it is better to urgently contact a veterinary clinic for diagnosis and treatment.

Treatment of poisoning in cats is different from the treatment of other diseases with similar symptoms. If you make the wrong conclusion, you can do harm and waste time. Particular attention should be paid to kittens, especially when the kitten has been poisoned with a large dose of poison.

Diagnostic measures

What to do if the cat was poisoned by rat poison? First of all, take her to a veterinary clinic, where veterinarians will conduct a diagnosis.

At the first signs of poisoning, the cat should be examined immediately. To do this, the veterinarian will examine the clinical picture, take a blood sample for the presence of anticoagulants in it and perform a urinalysis. He will also ask the owner in detail about how the animal became ill and how it behaved before the trip to the clinic. Based on the data and test results, the doctor will make a diagnosis and provide treatment.

How to help the cat at home?

If the owner notices in time that the cat is poisoned by rat poison and takes appropriate measures, he can save the animal and avoid complications, which are often fatal. That is why you should act quickly and without panic.

First aid in case of poisoning

If the owner has no opportunity to go to the vet, he will have to help the cat himself. But how to do it?

1. Encourage the pet to vomit. In this way, it will be possible to quickly remove the zoocoumarin from the body. However, this should be done only when the owner saw the pet eat poison or poisoned rat. But if much time has passed since the poisoning, there is no need to induce vomiting, as the condition can only worsen.
2. Administer an adsorbent to the cat. It can be polysorb or activated charcoal. They must be dissolved in water and injected with a syringe behind the cheek of 100 milliliters of the mixture.
3. To avoid dehydration and maintain water-salt balance, the animal should be given Rehydron diluted in water. Drink the solution every hour, pouring 10 milliliters of dissolved powder.
4. To prevent the poisonous substance from entering the bloodstream, you need to give the cat a product with an enveloping effect. This can be starchy kissel or egg white.

"Note. Give the cat liquid only after vomiting is over, otherwise, the water with the medicine will not stay in the body and will not give the necessary effect."

After 3-4 hours after eating the poison or poisoned rodent, the animal should be given vaseline oil. It will help to remove the feces, and with them, in part, the poison. If the poison is eaten recently, it is easier to make an enema, it will have a more rapid effect and remove the zoocumarin from the body.

What to do if a cat ate rat poison: signs of poisoning and first aid

Cats walking freely in the street usually give free rein to their hunting instincts: catching insects, birds and rodents. But if neighbors or utilities carry out a deratization, it can be dangerous for the pet mouser. Where can a furry pet find rat poison and what to do if it somehow got into her system?

As a rule, poison enters the cat's body in one of two ways:

1. Directly, if the cat swallows the bait itself. This is the most dangerous because in this case much more poison can get into the animal's body.
2. Indirectly, if the pet eats a mouse or rat that has died from the poison. The cat receives a relatively small amount of poison, but modern rat poisons are very effective and can cause serious harm even in minimal amounts.

How rat poison works on cats

Rodenticides are rodent killers. As a rule, they use active substances from the group of anticoagulants, i.e., they prevent blood clotting and the poisoned animal dies from internal bleeding. First-generation anticoagulants (warfin) are effective for a short time, and a longer dose of poison is required for lethal outcome. The second generation agents (brodifacoum) are more effective: even a single dose can lead to death of the animal.

The mechanism of action of the poison is as follows: anticoagulants inhibit the synthesis of vitamin K1, essential for blood clotting, and increase vascular permeability. As vitamin K1 stores are depleted, the animal gradually develops symptoms of poisoning, including massive bleeding.

Symptoms of poisoning in cats with mouse venom vary depending on the degree of intoxication:

• General weakness, lethargy, drowsiness;
• bluish skin, small hemorrhages on the gums;
• Reduced appetite or no appetite at all;
• Vomiting and diarrhea, which leads to dehydration;
• Prolonged bleeding from small wounds
• bleeding from the ears and nose;
• blood in vomit, urine, and feces;
• hematomas with no apparent cause;
• bloated abdomen due to internal bleeding;
• red eyes due to ruptured blood vessels;
• cramps;
• shortness of breath.

Basic information about rat poison

In today's market of rat poisons, the most popular is a preparation that causes a deterioration in blood clotting. It acts as follows: the rodent that has eaten the bait dies within a few days from multiple internal bleeding. The following preparations are used as the basis for such toxins:

The vast majority of toxins used for rodent control are colored green. Cats are unable to recognize this color, and therefore will not be able to learn to distinguish poison from wholesome food.

The ingestion of such a substance in the cat's body leads to the complete neutralization of vitamin K. Thus, the drug completely blocks blood clotting.

Modern manufacturers of anti-mouse and anti-rat products try to package them in such a way that taking a single poison will not cause instant death of your pets, but can destroy the rodent. Therefore, you will have time to take first aid measures and go to a veterinary clinic where your pet's health will be taken care of by professionals.

If you notice that your cat has eaten mouse poison, on no account allow it to drink. If the dose of toxin was too large, internal bleeding will instantly open up, which can be fatal.

1. Keep the package of toxin out of your pet's reach.
2. Place the baits in places where the cat won't find them and the mouse won't have a problem.
3. Don't let your pet hunt for rodents when you're doing deratting. Keep him home for a few days, so you prevent intoxication.

But if poisoning has already occurred, you should pay attention to the condition of your pet. As a rule, the symptoms are pronounced.

Symptoms

As mentioned above, the dose for mice and rats is too small to lead to poisoning in a cat. But it is possible that your pet will eat several poisoned rodents, leading to pronounced symptoms. All signs will indicate that the cat is bleeding internally:

• A state of lethargy;
• indifference to everything that is going on;
• coughing;
• apathy;
• difficulty breathing;
• swollen abdomen (direct indication of intra-abdominal bleeding);
• diarrhea;
• vomiting;
• blood from the nose;
• blood content in urine;
• bleeding from the anus;
• appearance of hematomas without mechanical damage;
• swollen joints;
• rupture of blood vessels in the eyes (your pet's eyes turn completely red, he may even go blind).

Keep in mind that not all symptoms may occur. Even one of the above should alert you. If you don't help your pet at the moment of detection of bleeding, it can very quickly end up being fatal. It all sounds and looks very scary. But if you notice symptoms, go to the vet right away and don't panic!

Symptoms of the disease

In the event that the cat ate a poisoned mouse, you should only hope that the rodent's body had a normal and not an increased dose of poison. Then the animal will have about a week in which to notice all the signs of intoxication. However, you should not rule out the possibility that the cat ate several mice. Then the symptoms of rat poisoning will appear in the cat much faster and will be more acute.

As for the characteristic signs of poisoning, they will, in the first place, indicate that the animal has problems with blood clotting. In the behavior it will be expressed by the fact that the pet will become apathetic, lethargic, will avoid the owner, and will try to hide in a quiet and secluded place. In addition, rat poison refers to those poisons, the effect of which causes the fluffy friend to have difficulty breathing and coughing. The cat's abdomen may become very swollen, which is provoked by internal bleeding. If the owner will not be attentive to these signs, the animal will die before getting proper help.

A poisoned cat, in particularly severe cases, is characterized by severe, persistent vomiting and diarrhea. From the rectum and nose can start bleeding profusely. Bruises may appear on the pet's body, although the owner is certain that the pet has not been injured in any way. Particular attention should be paid to the cat's urine, due to the action of coagulants, it turns a dark maroon color, because blood is actively entering the urethra. The joints become very inflamed and swollen. In addition, the gums may bleed, and the desire to eat even the most favorite treats is lost.

After swallowing the poison, the cat receives a strong dose of poison, which hits all systems of the body. The blood vessels in the eyes of the pet may burst, causing them to turn a nightmarish red color. If the pathology develops intensely, the cat can go almost completely blind, and this will directly affect his coordination of movements. Owners should keep in mind that the symptoms of poisoning can appear quite suddenly, so it is important to keep a cool mind and try to get the cat to the doctor quickly. Having dealt with the symptoms, let's move on to the question of what to do if the cat is poisoned by rat poison eaten and how to treat it in this case.

Treatment of the disease

The first symptoms and treatment of cats that ate poisoned mice are inextricably linked. It should be understood that every second lost will aggravate the pet's condition. The first thing to do is to give the pet medications that can induce vomiting. If there is already vomiting, you need to flush the cat's stomach with an enema, and then give him crushed tablets of activated charcoal. Unfortunately, in most cases, when the process of internal bleeding has already started, the pet will need a blood transfusion. Given the fact that most veterinary clinics do not have the proper equipment, the owner needs to be as quick as possible.

The natural antidote to rat poison is vitamin K, so once treatment begins, it is administered as an injection. When the cat's condition becomes stable, it can be given in the form of tablets. Vitamins are administered in large doses, since anticoagulants will destroy most of them. Vicasol is excellent for this purpose, as other drugs are multivitamin and there is little vitamin K specifically in them. Under no circumstances should the cat be given to drink when poisoned. If the dose was high, he will quickly develop internal bleeding and the pet will die.

Different manufacturers of rat poison use different combinations of anticoagulants in their poisons. This creates difficulties in determining when to stop treatment. Experts recommend stopping the treatment after a minimum of 10 days and then, after two days, taking the cat's blood for analysis, where the thrombocyte level is carefully studied. If it is low, the therapy should be continued, but if it is normal, it can be discontinued.

Poisons and symptoms of poisoning

Instant-acting and gradual-acting poisons are used to control mice and rats. Poison of acute action causes death of rodents within a day. Professional exterminators at industrial facilities use means based on zinc phosphide: "Commando", "Ratox".. The raticide is also fast-acting and is approved for use in residential and non-residential facilities.

Rodenticides on the basis of anticoagulants of the 1st and 2nd generations are more often sold to us and they have a cumulative effect. Since feeling of rodents does not immediately deteriorate after eating the poison bait, the animals eat it again and again, meanwhile the concentration of the active substance in their body increases.

Zinc phosphide

Zinc phosphide in the stomach reacts with hydrochloric acid, resulting in the release of a toxic poison, it affects the central nervous system. Symptoms of poisoning manifest themselves in severe vomiting and diarrhea, bad breath, the animal's coordination is impaired, it experiences seizures, and behavior may become inadequate.

Poisoned bait with zinc phosphide has a strong garlic smell, which is difficult to interrupt with any attractants. And rodents killed by phosphide poisoning pose no risk of secondary poisoning.

Krysid

Krysid, or alpha-naphthylthiocarbamide, is a poison with pronounced selective action on rodents. The active ingredient causes pulmonary edema and cardiac arrest. Death of rodents occurs within the first 24 hours as a result of suffocation.

Krysid is dangerous as a source of secondary poisoning, but the lethal dose for cats is much higher than for rodents: LD₅₀ (lethal dose, on average) for rats is 25-30 mg/kg, for mice 50-60 mg/kg, for cats 100-200 mg/kg. It should be noted that cats are less susceptible to the poison than dogs, for which the LD₅₀ = 60-150 mg/kg.

This substance has no antidote, so in severe poisoning is likely fatal. However, small doses of poison are eliminated from the body without causing much harm.

First aid and treatment

If you notice that your cat is playing with a mouse or rat that is behaving suspiciously passively, it is better to stop this game immediately and not let the pet eat the rodent. However, cats are independent animals, so it is impossible to keep track of all contact with rodents.

Since anticoagulants do not work instantly, by the time you see the first signs of rat poisoning in your cat, it will be too late to flush his stomach or intestines.

Treatment is reduced to long-term administration of vitamin K, the dosage is prescribed by the veterinarian, the treatment can be discontinued only after the blood clotting indicators come back to normal.

There are two types of vitamin K: phytomenadione, or K1, and menadione, or K3. Phytomenadione is artificially created, but its structure is analogous to vitamin K, which is produced naturally in the mammalian body. In our country vitamin K1 is not produced, of domestic preparations there are only "Vicasol"., it is a synthetic analogue of vitamin K1, it is called vitamin K3, in its structure it is a provitamin.

Conclusions of experts about the use of "Vikasol" in veterinary medicine vary. There is an opinion that vitamin K3 does not help to stop bleeding and does not improve blood clotting. "Vikasol" not only does not help with anticoagulant poisoning, but is toxic to dogs and cats, its overdose causes liver damage.

Vitamin K1 is best absorbed when taken orally, so it is given with food. A veterinary drug for injection is used for treatment "K-Ject or an ampoule formulation "Canavit"You can find it at your local drugstore. "Vitamin K1 tablets and "Conakion" in capsules are easy to use. You should be prepared that the treatment will last a long time, from 4-6 weeks to several months.

In acute cases, veterinarians administer vitamin K1 subcutaneously, less often intramuscularly or intravenously. Since the effect of administering vitamin K does not manifest itself until 12 hours, a blood transfusion may be required in case of heavy bleeding.

Treatment in the hospital

When the cat is admitted to hospital the initial diagnosis is made on the basis of your story and then the results of the tests are taken into account. This is why it is so important to keep an eye on the cat and, if possible, write down any signs of poisoning.

After blood and urine tests, the doctor will diagnose and prescribe a treatment:

As an antidote to rat poison is usually used vitamin K1, which affects blood clotting and strengthens the walls of blood vessels. If this is not available in your medicine cabinet or even at the veterinary clinic, then take its replacement – vitamin K3 – Vixol, Menadion.

The recovery of your cat depends on the nature of the poison and its amount, how much time has passed before treatment, the age of the animal and its comorbidities. The younger the cat and the earlier help was given, the greater the chance of recovery.

Taking care of a cat after poisoning

The first day after poisoning he can be given only water. And then gradually introduce lean, dietary food:

During the first months of recovery, you need to feed the cat 4-5 times a day. The food is finely chopped or ground in a blender. At first you should avoid milk and all fats, since most poisons are fat-soluble.

Any poisoning adversely affects the liver, so you should not give any heavy food. In some prepared foods, there are special, therapeutic foods after poisoning or to support the liver after poisoning. Which one is right for your cat is better to ask your veterinarian.

If your cat does not eat after poisoning, there is no need to force it. Forced feeding will only cause vomiting. If the cat does not eat for more than 2-3 days, he will need to be taken to the vet for intravenous injections.

The first 24 hours after treatment are extremely important, but you can only feed the animal. For the convenience of the cat all around the house you can place bowls of water. You can also alternate clean water with a solution of "Rehydron". The latter is used to restore the electrolytic balance in the body, after diarrhea and vomiting in a cat. Not bad showed itself and diapering with decoction of herbs such as chamomile, linden, nettle.

But all your actions must be strictly agreed with the veterinarian. What suited one cat to another can only harm. After all, no one cancelled such phenomena as allergies and individual intolerance of drugs in cats.

The result of treatment of your cat after eating poisoned rodent or rat poison is directly dependent on you. Full observance of doctor's orders, diet and drinking regime will help your cat not only to recover more quickly, but also make the process as painless as possible for you and your pet.