My dog ate rat poison, what should I do?
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
Call your vet or the nearest 24-hour vet now, even if your dog looks completely well. Many rat poisons cause internal bleeding only 3 to 7 days later, and treatment works best before signs start. Take the packet or a photo of the label with you, and do not try to make your dog vomit at home.
Rat poisons contain different chemicals that harm the body in different ways, so the product name tells the vet which tests and treatment your dog needs. If your dog may have eaten a poisoned rat or mouse, call the vet too.
What should you do right now?
Speed matters more than anything else. Work through these in order, and make the call first.
Stop more eating
Move your dog away and pick up any bait you can see, using gloves or a bag. Keep what you find in a sealed container for the vet. PDSA
Call a vet now
Call your vet or the nearest 24-hour vet immediately. PDSA says not to wait to see if symptoms develop. PDSA
Find the packet
Note the brand, the maker and the active ingredient, or photograph the label. If a pest control service laid the bait, ask them for the product name. PDSA
Do not make your dog sick
The RECOVER first-aid guidelines advise against making a dog vomit at home after swallowing a poison, unless a vet tells you to because no clinic can be reached. RECOVER Initiative (Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, 2026)study
Travel with the windows open
Some rat poisons, the phosphides, give off a toxic gas in the stomach. Merck says fumes from the vomit are toxic to people and advises driving to the clinic with the windows open. Merck Veterinary Manual
Tell the vet the details
How much may have been eaten, when, and your dog's weight. PDSA asks owners to estimate the amount and bring any leftover poison. PDSA
What kinds of rat poison are there, and what do they do?
Rat poisons are not one thing. Merck says the product must be identified accurately, and not from the bait's colour, shape or size alone.
| What it does | When signs usually appear | |
|---|---|---|
| Anticoagulants (such as bromadiolone, brodifacoum, warfarin) Merck Veterinary Manual | Stop the liver making working clotting factors, so the dog bleeds inside | Clotting tests change 2 to 5 days after eating; bleeding usually shows 3 to 7 days after |
| Phosphides (such as zinc phosphide) Merck Veterinary Manual | React in the stomach to release phosphine gas, causing severe gut upset, tremors, seizures and shock | Within minutes, or rarely up to 24 hours |
| Bromethalin Merck Veterinary Manual | A nerve poison that can cause swelling of the brain; Merck says there is no antidote | Tremors and seizures within 4 to 36 hours; paralysis 1 to 5 days after |
| Cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) Merck Veterinary Manual | Raises blood calcium and phosphorus, which can injure the kidneys | Often within 12 to 48 hours |
The ingredient is printed on the pack. If it cannot be found, Merck says the vet may have to treat for several possible poisons at once.
Why can a dog look fine after eating rat poison?
Because the most common kind works slowly. A normal dog today is not a safe dog.
Anticoagulant rat poisons block the enzyme that recycles vitamin K, which the liver needs to make clotting factors. The factors already in the blood keep working for a while, so Merck says clotting tests only change 2 to 5 days after the dog eats the bait, and bleeding signs usually appear 3 to 7 days after. The newer, long-acting anticoagulants such as brodifacoum and bromadiolone are potent enough that a rat needs only one feed of them.
Other poisons act sooner but can still be delayed. Merck says cholecalciferol signs often develop within 12 to 48 hours, and bromethalin can cause brain swelling within 1 to 7 days. PDSA puts it simply: there can be a delay in how quickly a pet shows signs after eating some poisons. That delay is the window in which a vet can do the most good.
What signs of rat poisoning should you watch for?
Do not wait for these before calling the vet. If you see any of them, go now.
- Weakness or unusual tiredness. Merck Veterinary Manual
- Nosebleeds, blood in the vomit, stools or urine, any other bleeding, or unexplained bruising. PDSA
- Difficulty breathing. Merck Veterinary Manual
- Walking as if drunk, muscle tremors or seizures. PDSA
- Severe vomiting, which can be bloody, soon after eating the bait. Merck Veterinary Manual
- Vomiting, not eating, weakness, drinking and peeing much more than usual. Merck Veterinary Manual
What will the vet do?
It depends on the poison and how long ago it was eaten. Merck says a vet may make a dog vomit if the bait was eaten within about 4 hours and the dog has no signs yet, and PDSA notes this usually only works if the poison was eaten very recently. That is why the call comes first: the vet does this safely in the clinic.
For anticoagulants, the vet will usually run clotting tests, which Merck says change first in the prothrombin time. The antidote, vitamin K1, is given by the vet over a course of several weeks, and clotting is rechecked after it ends. A dog that is already bleeding may need fluids or a transfusion. Never give vitamin K or any medicine at home without your vet.
For bromethalin, Merck says there is no antidote, so care is supportive. For phosphides, Merck reports a favourable outlook in dogs that are still normal 12 hours after eating the bait. Each of these is a vet's job; your part is getting there fast with the packet.
How do you keep your dog safe from rat poison?
A little planning, at home and in your housing society, prevents many accidents.
Do
- Store any rat poison you own well out of reach, in its original labelled pack. PDSA
- Keep your dog close on walks so you can see if it picks anything up. PDSA
- Ask your housing society or pest control service where and when baits are laid, and the product name, before it happens. Merck Veterinary Manual
- Call your vet if your dog may have eaten a rat or mouse. PDSA
Don’t
- Do not wait for symptoms after a known or likely ingestion. PDSA
- Do not judge the poison by its colour or shape: the same look can hide different chemicals. Merck Veterinary Manual
- Do not use salt, oil or any home remedy to make your dog vomit. RECOVER Initiative (Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, 2026)study
- Do not throw away the packet, even if it is empty. PDSA
What if it happens while your dog is with a sitter?
Give your sitter the name of the pest control products used in your home or building, and your vet's number, in the care sheet. In an emergency a Petym sitter calls you and takes your pet to the nearest 24-hour vet on the city's list, with the packet if there is one.
Going away soon? Tell us your dates.
A checked local sitter feeds, walks and keeps your pet company at home, follows your care sheet to the letter and sends a photo every day. Petym is opening city by city: send your dates and we will tell you when a sitter can take them.
- Meet your sitter first, free
- PAN-checked, first-aid trained
- A photo every day
- Pay through Petym, never cash
Questions owners ask
How long after eating rat poison will a dog show signs?
- It depends on the poison. Merck says anticoagulant baits usually cause bleeding 3 to 7 days later, cholecalciferol signs often appear within 12 to 48 hours, and phosphides can act within minutes. Because many dogs look normal at first, call a vet as soon as you know or suspect your dog ate any.
Can a dog survive rat poisoning?
- Many do, especially with fast treatment. For anticoagulant baits there is an antidote, vitamin K1, given by a vet over several weeks. Merck reports a favourable outlook for dogs still normal 12 hours after eating a phosphide bait. Bromethalin has no antidote. The sooner the vet sees your dog, the better the chances.
Should I make my dog vomit after it eats rat poison?
- No, not unless a vet tells you to. The 2026 RECOVER first-aid guidelines advise against making a pet vomit at home after swallowing a poison. A vet may do it safely in the clinic if the bait was eaten recently, often within about 4 hours. Some baits also release a gas that is toxic to people.
My dog ate a dead rat. Is that dangerous?
- It can be, because the rat may have eaten poison. PDSA advises calling your vet if you suspect your dog has eaten a rat or mouse. Tell the vet whether baits were laid nearby and, if you can find out, which product was used, since that guides what tests your dog needs.
Is there a home remedy for rat poison in dogs?
- No. Rat poisoning needs a vet. The treatment depends on the chemical, for example clotting tests and a weeks-long antidote course for anticoagulants, and nothing given at home replaces it. Home vomiting with salt or other remedies can cause harm of its own. Call your vet now and take the packet.
Keep reading
- Signs your pet needs a vet now
- Pet first aid basicsWhat to do, and not do, while you get to the vet.
- How pet sitters handle emergencies
- Foods toxic to dogs
- 24-hour vets in Bengaluru
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Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning in animals (full review November 2025) (opens in a new tab)
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Overview of rodenticide poisoning in animals (opens in a new tab)
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Phosphide (zinc, magnesium, aluminum) poisoning in animals (full review November 2025) (opens in a new tab)
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Bromethalin poisoning in animals (full review November 2025, updated February 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) poisoning in animals (full review November 2025) (opens in a new tab)
- PDSA: Rat poisoning in dogs (opens in a new tab)
- RECOVER Initiative (Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, 2026): RECOVER guidelines: first aid for dogs and cats, clinical guidelines (opens in a new tab)