Long-acting Anticoagulants Poisoning in Dogs

Long-acting anticoagulants are commonly known poisons that are used to kill rats and mice. As the name refers, long-acting anticoagulants prevent blood from clotting thus killing mice and rats as they bleed internally. Once ingested, hemorrhages develop within the body and they begin to bleed. The symptoms of poisoning take approximately 3 to 5 days to develop to the point where the symptoms are visible. Only a very small quantity of long-acting anticoagulants can be extremely toxic to dogs.

Long-acting anticoagulants in rodent poison can be found in a variety of places, such as garages, farms, stables, homes, and in areas of parks and wildlife. There is also a great variety of these types of poisons and they can come in different forms, namely bait blocks, grain-based, powders, and pellets. These popular types of rats and mice poisons work in the same way in which blood-thinning medications work in humans, and if dogs ingest these types of medications, toxicity can occur in this method as well. 

Long-acting anticoagulant poisoning in dogs occurs when dogs ingest anticoagulants from either rodent poison or from human anticoagulant medications. Anticoagulants prevent the blood from clotting, thus causing severe hemorrhaging if ingested.

 

If your dog has consumed a long-acting anticoagulant, the poisoning has already begun soon after it has been ingested. However, they are not usually noticed for a few days. Symptoms of long-acting anticoagulant poisoning include:

• Lethargy
• Internal bleeding
• Weakness
• Very pale gums
• Difficulty breathing
• Resistance to exercise
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Blood in the feces
• Nosebleeds
• Blood in the urine
• Swelling of the joints 

Types

If you are not suspicious of any rodent poisoning in your dog’s system, but your dog is having symptoms similar to those of rodent poisons, your veterinarian will have to rule out other conditions. Types of differential diagnoses are:

• Disseminated intravascular coagulation
• Von Willebrand disease
• Deficiencies in the number of platelets
• Congenital deficiencies
• Ehrlichiosis

If your dog is out of your view and consumes medications or rodenticides that contain anticoagulants, symptoms may not appear right away. Long-acting anticoagulant poisoning in dogs is caused by:

• The ingestion of rodent poison
• The ingestion of medications that contain anticoagulants
• The anticoagulants stop blood from clotting by halting vitamin K (the enzyme complex)
• Internal hemorrhaging over a few days

If you have a suspicion that your dog has ingested mice or rat poison, take him to the veterinarian immediately. The veterinarian will make a diagnosis after asking questions about the dog’s environment and if there are any poisons that he could have gotten into. The veterinarian will also ask you questions about your knowledge of the dog possibly ingesting long-acting anticoagulants.

The tests the veterinarian performs will be based upon the chances of the dog being poisoned by long-acting anticoagulants. The veterinarian will perform a physical examination and test the contents of the stomach, performance serum analysis, or test the plasma of the dog; all can be tested and analyzed for the evidence of anticoagulant in the dog’s system. Many veterinarians have a specific screening test that detects many of the anticoagulants that are on the market today. These tests check for the presence of anticoagulants in the kidneys, liver, serum, and plasma.

The preferred method of treatment of long-acting anticoagulant poisoning in dogs is vitamin K1. Treatment includes: 

Dosages of Vitamin K1

Vitamin K1 is the antidote for long-acting anticoagulant poisoning. Most poisonings in dogs are caused by second-generation anticoagulant agents, and the veterinarian will prescribe the correct dosage and timeframe of administering this antidote. The veterinarian may also recommend that the vitamin K1 be given with cheese, milk, or another type of fatty substance; vitamin K1 is absorbed more effectively when combined with fat.

Intravenous Plasma or Blood

If bleeding is present, plasma or blood may be given in order to replenish clotting and red blood cells. In addition to this, oxygen therapy may also be given.

Limiting Activity

During the first seven days of vitamin K1 therapy, treatment will also include lots of rest and very limited activity. The dog must do this in order to allow any trauma to the tissues to heal and to minimize any bleeding.

If your dog has been successfully treated for anticoagulant poisoning, he will need to be rechecked every 24 hours to be sure the blood is clotting properly. Once the veterinarian feels the dog is healing, you may be able to take him home; however, the veterinarian will need to see him again within the next few days to be sure that coagulation is taking place.

Once you are home with your dog, it will be very important to monitor him and watch for any new symptoms. The veterinarian will give you instructions on how to properly care for your dog and will let you know what to watch for in terms of negative symptoms. It is very important to contact your veterinarian if you become concerned with any behavioral changes and to precisely follow the instructions the veterinarian has given you. What is more important is that if any mice or rat poison is in your home to remove it or properly store it to prevent any further poisoning from occurring.