Henley Beach Veterinary Surgery
206 Military Rd, Henley Beach 5022 Ph. (08) 8356 2557 or (08) 8356 9387 Fax (08) 8235 2296 www.henleybeachvet.com.au Facebook.com/henleybeachveterinaryclinic
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday 8.00am to 7.00pm Saturdays 9.00am to 12.00pm Autumn, 2015 Newsletter Sundays/Pub.Hols Closed
Welcome to our Autumn Newsletter. In this issue we focus on Rat bait poisoning and also a few reminders about chocolate toxicity as Easter is coming up…
Rat Bait Poisoning…
Every year we see some cases of rat bait poisoning at our clinic and autumn seems to be the most common season when we see these patients. Both dogs and cats can be affected by ingesting rat bait directly or by ingesting rodents which have ingested rat bait. Poisoning with rat bait can be rapidly fatal or require intensive emergency veterinary care at significant cost, depending on the severity of poisoning. So read on to find important information which may save the life of your pet!
Types of rat bait:
Most rat baits that you can get from the supermarket are based on anticoagulants which cause internal bleeding. These baits are of two basic types. The first are those generally termed multi-feed rodenticides and the second are those that are single -feed rodenticides.
Multi-feed rodenticide – slower onset Both warfarin (e.g. Ratsak) and coumatetralyl (e.g. Racumin) are multi-feed rodenticides. This means that the rat must eat these types of baits over several days to become affected by them. This means that pets and wildlife are less at risk because they either have to consume a large quantity of bait in one sitting or consume small quantities of bait over a long period. Single-feed rodenticide – faster onset Henley Beach Vet is Single feed rodenticides act more quickly. These rat baits are more toxic to rats and pets and a On Facebook!
single dose is more likely to cause poisoning. Single feed rodenticides are those containing If you haven’t already ‘liked’ our page, then you’re brodifacoum (e.g.Talon) and bromadialone missing out on all the latest clinic news, special offers and fun facts about our furry friends! (e.g.Bromakil). They are commonly available from local supermarkets. Brodifacoum is at least 40 www.facebook.com/henleybeachveterinaryclinic times more potent then warfarin and is much more likely to cause the death of a rat, a pet or a wild animal with a single feed.
Secondary poisoning is also more likely to occur because a rat can have enough bait in its stomach to poison a dog and certainly a bird
SYMPTOMS
If a pet is affected by an anticoagulant poison, the signs of the toxicity may not be evident for several days or even a week. The main signs of such toxicity relate to anaemia from blood loss because the rat bait interferes with clotting factors normally found in the blood. Blood can be lost from many areas of the body but commonly it is seen in bloodstained faeces, blood appearing in the saliva or appearing from the nose. Lethargy, bruising under the skin and red spots on the gums may also be seen. Breathlessness, or coughing from blood pooling in the chest cavity and lungs, is a common sign also. Unusual swellings under the skin, which sometimes may be painful, such as on the head, face or neck due to bleeding under the skin, or into bleeding into joints resulting in lameness may also occur. Weakness is very common and the gums are sometimes very pale due to blood loss and the resulting anaemia.
FIRST AID
If you suspect your pet has eaten rat bait you should take your pet to see us at Henley Beach Veterinary Clinic as quickly as possible. Depending on how soon after the poison was ingested, we may need to induce vomiting, take a blood sample or treat your pet with precautionary vitamin K for 3-6 weeks. Vitamin K reverses the action of the rat bait. Treatment may require more intensive treatment such as blood transfusions and hospitalization. In some cases even with the most intensive treatment some animals may die. The sooner your pet is treated, the better their chances of survival.
AFTER HOURS EMERGENCY VETS
A delaide Animal Emergency & Referral Centre Animal Emergency Centre:
102 Magill Rd Corner Anzac Hwy and South Rd Norwood Kurralta Park Ph. 08 8362 1722 Ph. 08 83710333
Pet Trivia!
It takes forty minutes to hard boil an ostrich egg
The bones of a pigeon weigh less than its feathers
The cat lover is an ailurophile, while a cat hater is an ailurophobe
Lassie was played by several male dogs, despite the female name, because male collies were thought to look better on camera. The main "actor" was named Pal
A cat can reach up to five times its own height per jump
Basset Hounds have the longest ears out of any other dog breed Many measure between 7 and 10 inches long
Genetically, cats' brains are more similar to that of a human than a dog's brain
The Alaskan Malamute can withstand temperatures as low as 70 degrees below zero
Cats have over 100 sounds in their vocal repertoire, while dogs only have 10
Easter Chocolate Reminders… For a 5kg dog, it only takes 25 grams of milk chocolate or 15 grams of dark chocolate to cause mild symptoms of toxicity. (One row of chocolate is about 20g from a family block). The most common clinical signs are vomiting, diarrhea, drooling and increased thirst, panting or restlessness and agitation, excessive urination, a racing heart rate, muscle spasms (tremors), and occasionally seizures. The darker and the more bitter the chocolate, the more dangerous it is to your pets.
For a useful guide, see http://www.sarc.com.au/chocolate-toxicity-calculator/