Animals with underlying liver or gastrointestinal disease, as well as the very young or very old, are more at risk. The age and health of the pet may be another factor determining whether or not the amount ingested will be poisonous. In general, cats are typically quite resistant to the effects of LAACs and often require a much higher dose than dogs to cause poisoning.

Other types have a wider margin of safety (e.g., bromadiolone) and it takes a larger amount to cause poisoning. With some types (e.g., brodifacoum), it only takes a very small amount to cause poisoning, especially in dogs. The dose needed to cause poisoning from LAACs varies greatly between active ingredients and species of animal. Two days after the last dose of Vitamin K1 is administered, a blood clotting test called a prothrombin (PT) should be checked to make sure the clotting is normal otherwise, your pet can still potentially bleed out despite one month of therapy! Most pets need to be treated with Vitamin K1 for 30 days. Over-the-counter medications or food with high vitamin K content will not be sufficient substitutes. Less common signs include vomiting, diarrhea (with or without blood), nose bleeds, bruising, bloody urine, swollen joints, inappetence, and bleeding from the gums.įortunately, this specific type of mouse and rat poison does have a prescription antidote called Vitamin K1. Common signs of poisoning include signs of internal bleeding: lethargy, exercise intolerance, coughing, difficulty breathing (due to bleeding into the lungs), weakness, and pale gums. However, if the pet has been chronically exposed to the product, the onset of clinical signs may be sooner. When dogs or cats ingest LAACs, it typically takes 3-5 days before signs of poisoning are visible. Long-acting anticoagulants work similarly to the “blood thinner” medications that people take (e.g., warfarin or Coumadin®). This type of poison prevents the blood from clotting, resulting in internal bleeding. Long-acting anticoagulants (LAACs) are the most common and well known type of mouse and rat poisons.

Warfarin overdose antidote