Poison the Rodents, not your pet I’m not sure how the rodents are faring this season but I know the dogs aren’t doing too well. Its been a bumper year for rat bait poisoning. I could have predicted the onslaught of cases this week, the cooler weather, a few mice venture into the house and its off to the supermarket for some Tom Cat, a bit of Talon, perhaps a stick or two of Mortein. And I know, you put it up on the shelf where the dog can’t reach it, its behind the big cupboard or under the sofa, no way your precious pooch can get to it under there! Unfortunately, it doesn’t stay there. Rodents move their food. My daughter has pet rats and they have a dining area into which they carry all their grub. So where ever you put it, thats not where it ends up. Bait is tasty stuff, thats why the rodents eat it. Tasty for the rat, tasty for the dog. You won’t know your dog has eaten it, he may seem fine for a day or two. Then maybe not so fine, a bit quiet, perhaps some odd swellings, maybe a bit of coughing, some blood from the mouth or on the whites of the eye, dark urine, black stools, a little cut that just won’t stop bleeding. And then he really is not fine at all, collapsed, white as a sheet, bleeding to death. Most rodenticides bind vitamin K which is vital for blood clotting. Many of the newer ones also recycle through the body so if the first meal didn’t kill, it continues to act for up to 3 weeks. That way, even a small amount will kill the mouse, or your pet. Bait blocks should be nailed in place or put into something that a rat can access but a dog cannot. Most feed stores have clever baiting traps which fix the bait in place, inside the trap. The trap is dark and secure so the rat feeds for longer. We road tested one (see below) from Scone Rural using two Bull Mastiffs and the best they could do was a few teeth marks in the plastic. An open top drum with some feed in the bottom and a Jack Russell Terrier make a very effective mouse culling combo. If you suspect that your dog has eaten bait, take it to the vets straight away so we can induce vomiting and use Vitamin K to prevent poisoning. If your dog seems lethargic and may have had access to rat bait, take it to the vet, so we can perform a simple clotting test. Don’t wait until its too late and please... secure your bait or get a cat.
Posted on: Fri, 16 May 2014 03:08:25 +0000
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