The cat ate a poisoned mouse - symptoms, help, consequences

Poisons used in rodent control pose a direct danger to pets: cats and dogs. To save the animal, it is necessary to promptly identify signs of intoxication, provide first aid and immediately take it to the clinic to administer an antidote.

According to veterinarians, more than 80-90% of all clinically registered cases of rat poisoning in cats are associated with the animal directly eating a poisoned rodent. Such poisoning is considered secondary and occurs only if the poison has not had time to be eliminated from the mouse’s body.

Cases of direct consumption of rodent bait by a pet, much less the drug itself, are extremely rare. In terms of food, the drug itself is completely unattractive to the animal; only the bait itself can interest it: grain, cereals (used to lure mice), meat products (used for rats).

How can a cat get poisoned?

Almost all poisons used to kill rodents are zoocoumarins. These drugs reduce blood clotting and provoke various types of bleeding. Typically, the poison must be taken regularly for it to be effective. If a cat ate a poisoned mouse or rat once, then its health is not in danger , but if eating rodents occurs repeatedly, then poisoning is possible.
In addition, your pet can become poisoned if it periodically eats rat and mouse bait. There is a group of drugs that also belong to the latest generation of coumarins. These poisons are more toxic:

1. Zinc phosphide.
2. Bromethalin.
3. Sodium fluoroacetate.

Such drugs are very poisonous for animals; poisoning can result from consumption of bait or a rodent infected with poison. Food baits that are used to fight mice will be of little interest to a cat, since they are made on the basis of a grain mixture. But bait for rats is often made based on meat or fish products .

Therapy

The first aid immediately after a cat swallows poison is the administration of drugs that induce vomiting, or the administration of large quantities of activated charcoal, followed by gastric lavage. Alas, in almost all cases when internal bleeding has already developed, it is necessary to transfuse the animal with blood or blood-substituting compounds, plasma. Considering that most domestic veterinary clinics do not have such capabilities, it is advisable not to let things get to this point.

A natural antidote to such poisons is vitamin K. Immediately after the start of treatment, it is administered by injection, when the animal’s condition stabilizes, they switch to prescribing tablets. At first, the vitamin is administered in loading doses, since under the influence of the poison most of it will still be destroyed in the body. Please note that it is best to use Vikasol for treatment , since multivitamin preparations contain too small amounts of it.

It should be remembered that there are different options for anticoagulant compounds, each of which remains in the animal’s body for a different time. This can make it very difficult to determine when it is time to end treatment. As a rule, they do this: stop prescribing the drug, and then (two days later) take a blood test. Platelet levels are checked. If the poison remains in the animal’s body, their level will be noticeably reduced, and therefore therapy is continued. If all indicators are normal, the medication can be stopped completely.

Signs of a cat being poisoned by rat poison

If the cat is affected by rat poison or other poisons from the group of zoocoumarins, then the symptoms will be as follows:

• various bleedings - nasal, stomach, uterine. Hemorrhages appear in the oral cavity. These symptoms can develop within ten days after the toxic drug enters the body;
• vomiting – this symptom does not necessarily appear. Happens immediately after eating a poisoned rodent;
• internal bleeding - with such damage, the cat can die within a few days , without any obvious signs of poisoning.

You can recognize that poisons of this type are used in the area by looking at already dead rodents. They may notice blood coming from the rectum or mouth.

If a cat eats a mouse poisoned with rat poisons of other groups, the symptoms will be as follows:

• increased excitability, nervousness, atypical dynamism;
• complete loss of coordination - the animal’s gait is unstable, its paws get tangled, and the cat falls over on its side. There may be involuntary head shaking;
• neurological manifestations - convulsions, twitching of muscles and paws;
• body temperature rises significantly;
• the animal becomes lethargic and drowsy.

When the first signs of poisoning appear, your pet must be taken to a veterinary clinic !

Symptoms

Pay attention to the following symptoms of acute poisoning:

• depressed state, loss of coordination of movements;
• refusal to drink and eat;
• vomit;
• foamy discharge from the mouth;
• diarrhea, often with blood;
• external and internal hemorrhages;
• nervous phenomena.

Poisoned cat is depressed

First aid for a cat in case of poisoning

What should you do first if your cat has eaten a rodent and is worried? The sequence of actions is given below:

• Induce vomiting - this procedure makes sense only if the cat has eaten suspicious food in full view of the owners. Otherwise, the poison has long been absorbed into the bloodstream, and vomiting will cause the condition to worsen due to dehydration. To provoke vomiting in a cat, you need to give a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide and water in equal parts. A teaspoon of this solution is per 2 kg of cat weight. You can use a concentrated solution of table salt or sprinkle a pinch of soda on your cat's tongue. The prepared solutions are infused into the cat by force, using a syringe without a needle or syringe.
• To neutralize toxins in the stomach, the cat is given any sorbent that is available in the home medicine cabinet. The drug is dissolved in half a glass of warm water and poured into the pet’s mouth.
• Next, the cat is fed any enveloping foods that will reduce the absorption of poison into the mucous membranes. It can be raw eggs, milk jelly, or a decoction of flaxseeds.

Sorbents and products that envelop the mucous membrane are given to the animal only after vomiting has completely stopped.

• Three hours after the last dose of the coating agent, the cat is given a laxative. A 2% solution of magnesium or sodium sulfate, castor oil or petroleum jelly are suitable for this.
• Rinse the intestines with an enema. About 30 ml of saline solution or clean water is injected into the cat's rectum.

The enema liquid should be taken slightly warm. Hotter water promotes stronger absorption of toxins into the blood.

If the cat's symptoms indicate the action of anticoagulants, drugs that interfere with blood clotting, then vitamin K is injected into the muscle in a dosage of 1-2 ml.
A pet's recovery is usually long and can range from three weeks to three months .
A fairly common poison for exterminating rodents is zinc phosphide. It threatens the life of a cat only when bait containing rodent poison has been eaten. When a cat eats a mouse or rat that is poisoned with this poison, there is no danger to health. When directly eating the bait, the cat’s first signs appear within a short time and look like this:

• uncontrollable vomiting, sometimes streaked with blood;
• severe pain in the gastrointestinal tract;
• a characteristic smell of rotten fish appears from the oral cavity;
• respiratory function becomes difficult;
• convulsions appear.

If the cat is not quickly provided with emergency assistance, then death occurs within a short period of time.

If an animal is intoxicated with zinc phosphide, first aid consists of washing the stomach with a 0.5% solution of copper sulfate and a 2% solution of baking soda. Medicines containing aluminum and magnesium, such as Maalox, can be given.

Treatment measures

Before starting treatment, it is necessary to find out what kind of poison the mouse, and, indirectly, the cat, was poisoned with. The medicine that works for one poison is useless for another .

If deratization was carried out by the owner himself, it is necessary to show the doctor the packaging of the drug. If the origin of the poison is unknown, a special analysis will be needed to determine it.

In case of poisoning with anticoagulants, long-term therapy with vitamin K1 is prescribed. This is the most effective antidote known to veterinary practice. The drug can be taken orally or administered intravenously (dose 1-2 ml). The course of treatment can last up to 2-3 months.

The rehabilitation period for a cat after poisoning

For any degree of poisoning, the cat needs to be examined by a veterinarian and prescribed adequate treatment. Even with the pet’s apparent health, the consequences can continue to manifest themselves for a long time. In addition to medications, the cat needs proper care and diet.

Within 24 hours after the first symptoms of poisoning appear, the cat is given only water and sorbents. From the second day you can start feeding the animal in small portions several times a day. The following products are used in cat food:

• boiled meat - horse meat, veal, lean beef, chicken breast;
• fish of different varieties, but not too fatty;
• boiled liver;
• vegetables - boiled carrots, beets, cauliflower;
• viscous porridges - oatmeal, buckwheat, rice.

A few days after poisoning, you can start giving small amounts of raw foods - meat, liver, fish, eggs. Liver is given raw only when you are confident in the high quality of the product and there are no signs of liver infection by parasites. Otherwise, it is better to boil it a little. Meat and fish are ground into minced meat for better digestion by a weakened stomach . You can make something like a fish and meat pate, which will be rich in minerals and vitamins. It is better to boil the egg white, it is difficult for the stomach to process, but the yolk can be added to the porridge raw.

Dairy products are gradually being reintroduced into the cat's diet. This can be low-fat milk, cottage cheese and low-fat cheese. You can give bifidokefir, which stimulates the intestinal mucosa well and helps avoid constipation.

All food for a cat during the rehabilitation period should be light, fresh and easily digestible.

What not to give to a cat after poisoning

After poisoning, the cat is strictly prohibited from giving the following products:

• dry food of any class. Regardless of whether it is a budget food or a premium one, it causes severe irritation to the stomach, which has not had time to recover after the poison entered the body;
• canned cat food - this food is not healthy, it does not contain the necessary enzymes that improve digestion. Canned food should only be offered to a cat in exceptional cases ;
• offal – it is worth removing tripe, udder and kidneys from the cat’s diet for a while. Boiled beef heart can be given in limited quantities;
• legumes in any form cause bloating;
• confectionery products – a high carbohydrate content is not desirable for an organism that has just experienced severe intoxication;
• bread and pasta are difficult to digest due to the weakened gastric mucosa. May cause stagnation in the digestive system.

The cat may have poor appetite for a long time after poisoning . Under no circumstances should you force feed her. Sometimes you have to keep the animal on IVs for several days.

When to go to the hospital

If a cat is poisoned by rat poison, then contacting a medical facility is mandatory. The veterinarian will examine the animal and carry out the necessary diagnostics. After receiving the examination results, suitable treatment is selected. However, first of all, an antidote must be administered. For rat poison, this is vitamin K1, sometimes it is replaced with the drug Vikasol.

In the first stages of poisoning, the antidote is administered in large volumes by injection. After the cat’s condition has stabilized, the medicine can be given in tablets. Additional medications are required to normalize the animal’s condition.

Ten days later, an additional examination is carried out to determine the level of platelets in the blood. If the indicator is close to normal, treatment can be completed. If treatment of poisoning is started on time, the prognosis is favorable.

After poisoning, you need to carefully monitor the animal's diet. The diet includes dietary products with low fat content; it is recommended to avoid industrial feed for a while. You can’t force feed your cat, as the appetite will gradually be restored.

Consequences of cat poisoning by mouse

Any poison causes severe intoxication of the body and disables all important organs and systems. A particularly toxic substance for animals is rat poison , which is used to control rodents. There may be no consequences of poisoning, but they may be very severe:

1. Acute liver damage, which leads to organ enlargement and chronic jaundice.
2. Neurological diseases - paralysis of limbs, loss of coordination.
3. Changes in the organs of vision - with severe poisoning, a cat may develop optic nerve atrophy and blindness.
4. Hearing impairment.
5. Disorders of the urinary system - urinary incontinence and chronic inflammation of the bladder.
6. Persistent allergic reactions, which are accompanied by hair loss and itching.
7. Reproductive dysfunction.
8. Comatose state and death.

How to protect your cat from poisoning

Cats are animals that walk on their own. Unlike dogs, it is difficult for them to put on a collar and dictate the path of a walk. These animals love freedom and independence. To avoid severe poisoning in cats, you need to follow a few rules. A cat should always be fed before walking ; with a full stomach, it will not look for food on the street.
You should not scatter poisoned bait for rodents in the house and surrounding area; it is better to use the services of a sanitation station. Love your pets and be extremely attentive to them. If your cat shows signs of illness, do not turn a blind eye. It depends on the actions of the owner how quickly the cat recovers from poisoning and whether it will have any consequences. The person’s task is to deliver the cat to the hospital as quickly as possible.

Precautionary measures

It is quite difficult to prevent a cat from being poisoned by rat poison, especially if it roams freely on the street and catches mice. Still, you can take some preventive measures:

• In a private home, give preference to safe means of pest control (glue, traps).
• During the period of mass bait distributions (usually this happens in the fall after the harvest), do not let the cat go outside.
• Watch for dead rodents showing signs of rat poison exposure. Exchange information with other cat owners.
• Maintain relationships with your neighbors, ask them to report when bait is being laid out.
• Feed your cat well. Many animals bring their prey to show their owner. Try to get your cat into the habit of not eating rodents he catches.