Poisoning Due to Ingesting Rat Poison in Cats

Rat poisons are designed to kill these damaging, disease-spreading rodents. Unfortunately, many common rat poisons are also highly toxic to cats if ingested and can be fatal.

The exact effect rat poison has on a cat varies depending on the type of rodenticide used. Some poisons prevent blood clotting, some cause kidney failure, and others lead to swelling of the brain and neurological signs.

It's also important to be aware that directly ingesting rat poison is not the only way cats can be affected. Cats that hunt in and around the home can be poisoned by eating rodents that have ingested rat poison.

If you suspect that your cat has ingested any rat poison, it's vital that you seek emergency veterinary attention for your pet. This will give them the best chance of a successful outcome.

The symptoms of poisoning may vary with the type of poison ingested by a cat. Signs may be due to neurological, kidney, or stomach distress, or a deficiency in blood clotting. The type of poison ingested can also affect how long it takes clinical signs to develop; which may take several days.

Symptoms you may notice include:

• Excessive bleeding from wounds 
• Nosebleeds
• Bruising 
• Blood in urine or feces
• Difficulty breathing or rapid breathing
• Vomiting
• Excessive thirst
  
• Lack of appetite
• Abdominal bloating
• Hypersalivation
• Lethargy
• Pale gums
• Violent behavior
• Unsteady gait
• Poor balance and coordination
• Seizures
• Kidney failure

However, if you suspect that your cat has consumed rat poison, don't wait for symptoms to develop. Instead, seek veterinary attention straight away.

Rodenticide poisoning is generally the result of ingestion. A cat may eat rat poison (direct ingestion), or consume a rodent that has ingested the poison (secondary poisoning). 

Cats may eat poison out of hunger or curiosity, or unwittingly if it somehow becomes mixed with their food. Cats who hunt rodents may catch and eat an animal that has ingested poison placed nearby.

There are many different types of rat poison on the market, and they all affect pets in different ways. The 3 most common types of rodenticides are anticoagulants, bromethalin-based products, and rat poison that contains cholecalciferol.

Anticoagulant rodenticides use active ingredients like warfarin, bromadiolone, and chlorophacinone. They work by reducing the levels of vitamin K1 in your pet's body, which in turn stops blood from clotting and can lead to uncontrolled bleeding, severe anaemia and shock.

Bromethalin is a neurotoxin that reduces the supply of oxygen to your pet's brain. The result is swelling of the brain (cerebral edema), which can be fatal.

Cholecalciferol is a form of vitamin D which, when consumed in toxic amounts, leads to abnormally high levels of calcium and phosphorus in your pet. This can then lead to kidney failure.

No matter what type of rat poison your pet ingests, it should always be treated as an emergency. Seek veterinary help as soon as possible, even before symptoms show up.

If possible, bring any rat poison packaging with you when you take your cat to the vet. This will help your vet assess which toxic ingredients your pet has ingested and in what quantity.

The vet will conduct a full physical exam and ask you for details about when your pet ingested the poison, when symptoms developed, and whether those symptoms have worsened.

The vet will conduct urine and blood tests (including a blood clotting profile) and potentially examine vomit and fecal samples. This will help them determine if your cat has been poisoned and with what, as well as the nature and extent of the damage it has caused.

Other tests carried out will vary depending on the poison involved and the nature of your pet's symptoms. For example, in cases of anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning, your cat's blood clotting time and blood cell count will need to be checked, while scans may be used to check for internal bleeding. In cases of bromethalin poisoning, MRI  and CT scans may be used to assess swelling of the brain. And if your cat is poisoned with cholecalciferol, blood and urine tests will be used to check for calcium and phosphorus levels as well as to assess kidney function.

The treatment of rodenticide poisoning in cats varies depending on the rat poison ingested by your pet.

In cases of anticoagulant poisoning, the first step is decontamination by inducing vomiting and administering activated charcoal to remove toxins from the cat’s body. Vitamin K1 supplementation will help restore your cat's blood clotting ability, while IV fluids, artificial respiration, and blood transfusions may also be required.

If your cat has ingested bromethalin rat poison, treatment focuses on decontamination followed by supportive care with medications to control tremors and seizures.

Decontamination is also the first step when treating cholecalciferol poisoning in cats. In severe cases, your cat may also be given IV fluids, anti-nausea drugs, and medications to reduce calcium and phosphorus levels.

Your cat's prognosis mainly depends on how quickly they are diagnosed and treated post-poisoning. If your cat has the poison removed from their system quickly, there is  a good chance of a full recovery. However, if the poison is in your cat’s system for an extended period of time, permanent damage to the respiratory system, GI tract, liver, kidneys, and nervous system can occur.

Once your cat has been treated and sent home, you may need to return to the veterinarian for follow-up testing to monitor your pet's recovery. Care and treatment may also continue once your pet has returned home — for example, in cases of anticoagulant poisoning, you will need to keep providing vitamin K supplements to your pet for weeks after poisoning.

Finally, to prevent the ingestion of rat poison in the future, safely dispose of poisons in and around the home and keep all rodenticides well out of your pet's reach.

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