Preventing pet poisioning

Veterinarians at Kansas State University say every year they treat several dogs who have either eaten rat poison or eaten a dead rat that had the poison.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is ordering one company to remove their products from the shelves because so many pets and children have been poisoned.

Kansas State Veterinarian, Susan Nelson, warns that even if the product says it is childproof and pet-proof - any type of poison is still dangerous. "This product is considered safer for the kids and pets because it takes larger amounts to cause toxicity," she said.  "However, it's not as safe because it takes shorter time for onset of action and so you don't have a lot of time to act on a poisoned animal. Once symptoms develop, it's hard to recover from these and a lot of pets are going to die so it's important to get prompt treatment."

Poisoning in dogs can lead to severe internal bleeding or swelling of the brain. If you believe your dog has eaten some poison, contact a veterinarian immediately. Also, be aware, while there are several animal poison hotlines out there that can offer valuable information, most charge a fee for an over the phone consultation.