Poisoning Due to Ingesting Rat Poison in Cats

Written By hannah hollinger
Published: 10/15/2016Updated: 11/15/2021
Veterinary reviewed by Dr. Linda Simon, MVB MRCVS
Poisoning Due to Ingesting Rat Poison in Cats - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Recovery, Management, Cost

What is Poisoning Due to Ingesting Rat Poison?

Numerous types of rat poison and rodenticides exist, and all use active ingredients that can be extremely harmful to cats. Some poisons prevent blood clotting, while others cause damage and failure in specific organs or systems, such as the brain or kidneys.

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. Thus, it is important to refrain from using rat poison in or around any site that is home to children and pets, even in areas that are not considered accessible.

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Poisoning Due to Ingesting Rat Poison Average Cost

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Symptoms of Poisoning Due to Ingesting Rat Poison in Cats

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.

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

Causes of Poisoning Due to Ingesting Rat Poison in Cats

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 becomes mixed with its food. Cats who hunt rodents may catch and eat an animal that has ingested poison placed nearby.

Diagnosis of Poisoning Due to Ingesting Rat Poison in Cats

If it's possible your cat may have been poisoned, collect vomit and fecal samples if possible and bring them with you to the vet as soon as possible. If the cat begins exhibiting signs of toxicity at night or on a weekend, find out if your regular veterinary clinic has emergency hours or take the cat to an emergency clinic. Waiting too long to seek care can put your cat’s life at risk.

Your veterinarian will run tests on the vomit and fecal samples you collect and may conduct blood and urine tests. These tests can rule out other conditions and illnesses to help determine if your cat has been poisoned and with what, as well as the nature and extent of damage it has caused.

Treatment of Poisoning Due to Ingesting Rat Poison in Cats

Depending on the nature and severity of poisoning, a veterinarian may induce vomiting and administer activated charcoal to remove toxins from the cat’s body. Artificial respiration, blood transfusions, or vitamin K1 supplementation may be administered. The veterinarian may also administer fluids and medications that will promote hydration and urination and help flush toxins from the system. The cat may be boarded in a quiet, dark area to reduce potential seizure triggers, to promote rest, and to prevent injury while vulnerable to bleeding. In severe cases, a blood transfusion might be required.

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Recovery of Poisoning Due to Ingesting Rat Poison in Cats

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

Once your cat has been treated and sent home you will need to return to the veterinarian a few more times for follow-up testing to monitor recovery and measure lasting damage..

To prevent the ingestion of rat poison in the future, safely dispose of poisons in and around the home and secure your cat’s food supply to prevent tampering.

Poisoning in cats can be expensive to treat. For the "ultimutt" protection against emergency vet care costs, start searching for pet insurance today. Wag!’s pet insurance comparison tool lets you compare plans from leading companies like PetPlan and Embrace. Find the “pawfect” plan for your pet in just a few clicks!

Poisoning Due to Ingesting Rat Poison Average Cost

From 575 quotes ranging from $500 - $10,000

Average Cost

$3,000

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Poisoning Due to Ingesting Rat Poison Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals

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short haired tabby

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Oreo

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5 Months

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4 found this helpful

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4 found this helpful

My pet has the following symptoms:
Sleepiness
I found empty wrappers of rat poisoning in to different places but I don’t know if the wrappers were empty before my kitten got to it. She threw up a tiny bit but I thought it was because I gave her milk, she’s active and stuff she sleeps a lot though and she has a bit of a fat pouch hanging from the lower part of her stomache, whenever she jumps she makes tiny noises and I don’t know if it’s because she in pain from the digesting the rat poisoning if she did eat it.

Aug. 20, 2018

4 Recommendations

It is important to know what type of rat poison it was (anticoagulant or neurotoxin) and visit an Emergency Veterinarian immediately, there is nothing specific I can tell you apart from visit a Veterinarian in these types of cases as I don’t know whether any was consumed, the type of rat poison or any time line. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM

Aug. 20, 2018

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Black ca

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Eva

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24 Months

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4 found this helpful

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4 found this helpful

My pet has the following symptoms:
Diarrhoea Drunk Unstable
My cat probably ate a poisoned dead mouse. She was acting really unstable and she was shaking and falling.like she was unconscious but still moving. We have no money or vets to beging with. So we gave her oil,since it saved a lot of times cats from rat poison. She's gotten better today (14h since it happened) she's still a bit unstable and shakes a bit when we touch her but she's better. She pooped, her poop wasn't normal, probably diarrhoea but in this end she alsp pooped blood and that got me extremely concerned. What can I do for her? Will she survive?

May 31, 2018

4 Recommendations

Symptoms may be from secondary rat poisoning or may be due to the consumption of a dead mouse which may have died from disease and may have caused severe gastrointestinal distress. Without examining Eva or knowing whether possible poisoning was anticoagulant or neurotoxin, it is difficult to give any specific treatment or prognosis; you should try to ensure that Eva is hydrated and kept warm, but I believe that you should still seek veterinary attention for her and encourage you to visit a charity clinic or other organisation for assistance. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM

June 1, 2018

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Poisoning Due to Ingesting Rat Poison Average Cost

From 575 quotes ranging from $500 - $10,000

Average Cost

$3,000

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