Find the package and look for the active ingredient. Then call your veterinarian or an animal poison control center and head to a clinic. You cannot tell the poison type by the color or shape of the bait.
Enter weight and amount to get an urgency level and next steps.
What to do right now
- Move your dog away from the source and pick up anything left over.
- Find the packaging, label, or plant so you know exactly what was eaten and how much.
- Note your dog's weight and the time it happened.
- Call your veterinarian or an animal poison control center. Do this even if your pet seems normal.
- Do not make your pet vomit unless a professional tells you to.
- Follow the advice you are given, and bring the packaging to the clinic.
Why rat poison is dangerous
There are several kinds of rodenticide, and each works differently. Anticoagulants such as brodifacoum and bromadiolone stop blood from clotting. Bromethalin is a nerve toxin that causes swelling in the brain. Cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) raises calcium and damages the kidneys. Zinc and aluminum phosphides release a toxic gas in the stomach.
Bait strengths vary and the margin of safety is narrow, so our checker does not calculate a dose. Any ingestion is treated as an emergency.
Symptoms to watch for
- Anticoagulants: weakness, pale gums, coughing, nosebleeds, bruising, or blood in urine or stool
- Bromethalin: tremors, seizures, or back leg weakness
- Cholecalciferol: vomiting, loss of appetite, increased thirst and urination
- Phosphides: vomiting, restlessness, trouble breathing, collapse
Timeline: when signs appear
Phosphides act within minutes to hours. Bromethalin can cause seizures within hours at high doses or weakness over 1 to 5 days at lower doses. Cholecalciferol signs usually start within 18 to 72 hours. Anticoagulants typically cause clotting problems within 2 to 5 days, often with no warning signs before bleeding starts.
Go straight to an emergency vet if
- Always, as soon as possible, for any rodenticide ingestion
- Your dog is bleeding, coughing, weak, has pale gums, tremors, seizures, or is drinking and urinating more
- You do not know the active ingredient
- Your dog may have eaten a poisoned rodent
What the vet will do
Early decontamination, usually inducing vomiting and giving activated charcoal within the first few hours, is the most effective treatment for most rodenticides. Do not induce vomiting at home, especially if phosphide is possible, because the vomit can release gas that is dangerous to people.
For anticoagulants, vitamin K1 is the antidote and is often given for weeks, with a clotting test afterward. Bromethalin and cholecalciferol have no antidote, so treatment is supportive and may involve days to weeks of monitoring.
How to prevent it
- Use enclosed, tamper-resistant bait stations, or choose traps instead of poison.
- Place any bait where pets cannot reach or dig it up.
- Keep a record of the product name and active ingredient.
- Ask pest control companies which products they use.
For a room-by-room list you can print, see the pet poison-proofing checklist.
Enter weight and amount to get an urgency level and next steps.
Frequently asked questions
How much rat poison is toxic to a dog?
It depends on the product and active ingredient, and the margin of safety is narrow. Treat any amount as an emergency.
My dog ate rat poison but seems fine. Can I wait?
No. Anticoagulants often cause no signs for days, and early decontamination is the most effective treatment.
Can I tell the type of poison by its color?
No. Bait color and shape do not identify the active ingredient. Bring the package or a photo of the label.
Can my dog get sick from eating a poisoned mouse?
It is possible, especially with repeated exposure. Tell your vet if your dog ate a rodent that may have been poisoned.