How to rescue a cat that has eaten rat poison

Rat poison generally falls into three categories: antoumine, zinc phosphide, and organofluorine compounds. If your cat has eaten an antoumine-based rat poison, there is no specific antidote, but you can attempt rescue through emesis, gastric lavage, catharsis, and diuresis. For zinc phosphide poisoning, you can induce vomiting with 0.2% to 0.5% copper sulfate solution and perform gastric lavage. For organofluorine compound-based rat poison, rescue can include intramuscular injection of difluoromethane, combined with emesis and gastric lavage.

Signs of rat poison ingestion in cats generally include vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, accelerated heartbeat, difficulty breathing, and more. If your cat shows mild symptoms or no symptoms after eating rat poison, you can attempt emesis. If your cat has eaten a large amount of rat poison, it may face life-threatening risks in a short period of time, so it is recommended to seek immediate medical attention.

What are the hazards and symptoms of eating different types of rat poisons? Antoumine-based rat poison is a potent rodenticide, which causes increased vascular permeability in the lungs, leading to pulmonary edema. Cats exposed to antoumine-based rat poison will experience vomiting, frothing at the mouth, followed by diarrhea, coughing, and difficulty breathing. They may also become depressed, exhibit cyanotic mucous membranes, and have frothy blood-colored mucus flowing from their nostrils. Coma and lethargy usually set in 10 to 12 hours after exposure, and some cats may die within 2 to 4 hours. Zinc phosphide-based rat poison is a commonly used rodenticide that is gray in color. After ingestion, it mixes with water and stomach acid in the stomach, releasing hydrogen phosphide gas, causing severe gastritis. Cats with zinc phosphide poisoning will experience abdominal pain, anorexia, persistent vomiting, lethargy, rapid and deep breathing. Organic fluorine-based rat poison is highly toxic, and cats exposed to it will be restless, vomit, have hyperactive gastrointestinal function, run aimlessly, and experience episodes of convulsions lasting about a minute before dying.

Depending on the type of rat poison, different rescue methods can be adopted. For antoumine-based rat poison poisoning, there is no specific antidote, but rescue can be attempted through emesis, gastric lavage, catharsis, and diuresis. For zinc phosphide poisoning, treatment can include administering 0.2% to 0.5% copper sulfate solution orally to induce vomiting and eliminate toxins from the stomach. Gastric lavage can be performed with a low concentration of potassium permanganate solution, followed by sodium sulfate for catharsis and intravenous administration of hypertonic glucose solution to protect the liver. For organic fluorine-based rat poison poisoning, treatment can include intramuscular injection of difluoromethane, combined with emesis and gastric lavage. Feeding sick cats raw egg whites can help protect the gastrointestinal mucosa.