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Urgent care is for pets who are unwell, in discomfort, are in urgent situation or are not acting like themselves and should be assessed within 24 hours.
Wellness, routine, or general care is for pets needing vaccines, preventive care, or ongoing monitoring who can safely wait at least 24 hours.
This page focuses on urgent assessment. Routine wellness exams, preventive care, and monitoring of stable conditions are provided through scheduled general wellness appointments.
Dog or Cat Ate Rat Poison
If you've seen your pet ingest this, please call a 24h hospital that has Vitamin K1 injections !!!
Anticoagulant rodenticide toxicosis can appear mild or invisible at first, then progress to life-threatening internal bleeding days later, depending on the specific poison, dose, and timing.
This delayed bleeding pattern makes anticoagulant rat poison exposure especially dangerous, even when pets seem normal initially.
Definition
Anticoagulant rodenticide toxicosis is a poisoning that interferes with blood clotting and can cause uncontrolled internal bleeding.
It is a clinical condition, not a diagnosis, because outward signs alone cannot confirm severity or rule out internal hemorrhage.
These poisons block vitamin K recycling in the liver, preventing the body from making essential clotting factors. Bleeding does not start immediately — it often begins 2–5 days after exposure, once clotting factors are depleted.
This delayed onset is why pets may appear normal for days before suddenly becoming critically ill.
Anticoagulant rodenticides are still encountered in homes, garages, yards, farms, and new environments, and pets may also be exposed by eating poisoned rodents.
Common owner search phrases include: dog ate rat poison, dog exposed to rat bait, cat ate mouse poison, rat poison delayed bleeding, rodenticide poisoning symptoms, dog bleeding internally after poison, anticoagulant rat poison dog timeline, second-generation rodenticide poisoning, dog coughing blood after poison, dog bruising suddenly, cat bleeding after unknown exposure, dog ate unknown bait, dog anemia from poison, internal bleeding dog, vitamin K poisoning dog, rat poison symptoms days later.
Who This Page Is For
Pets with known or suspected exposure to rat or mouse poison
Dogs or cats that suddenly develop bruising, bleeding, coughing, or weakness
Pets that seemed normal for several days after possible exposure, then worsened
Animals with unexplained anemia, pale gums, or breathing difficulty
Pets moving into new homes, garages, yards, farms, or properties with unknown rodent control
Who This Page Is Not For
Pets with a clearly identified non-toxic bait (such as corn-based cellulose products)
If you are unsure whether this is significant, that uncertainty itself warrants veterinary assessment.
Related Urgent Symptoms
Pale Gums (Emergency)
Difficulty Breathing (Respiratory Distress)
Sudden Collapse (Syncope)
Internal Bleeding in Dogs and Cats
Anemia in Dogs and Cats
Nose Bleed (Epistaxis)
Blood in Stool
What This Can Look Like at Home
Owners may initially notice very subtle or vague changes, including reduced energy or appetite.
Mild lethargy or reluctance to exercise
Decreased appetite
Coughing or gagging without vomiting
Swollen joints or limbs
Bruises under the skin or belly
Dark stools or blood-tinged urine
Some pets appear normal until bleeding becomes severe.
Why This Can Be Hard to Judge
Anticoagulant rodenticide toxicosis is deceptive because bleeding is delayed.
Clotting factors already circulating in the blood continue to function for 1–3 days, masking the poisoning early.
Once these factors are depleted, bleeding can escalate rapidly and internally, without obvious wounds.
Normal behavior early on does not reliably indicate safety or resolution.
The Improvement Trap
Temporary improvement does not equal resolution.
A pet may eat, play, and act normally after exposure, then suddenly develop weakness, breathing distress, or collapse days later.
Owners often assume the danger has passed because there were no immediate signs, when in reality the highest risk period is just beginning.
What Is Easy to Miss at Home
Pale or slightly gray gums
Small bruises under fur
Subtle abdominal enlargement
Increased breathing effort during rest
Dark or tarry stools
Pink-tinged urine
Reluctance to jump or move
These clues often indicate internal bleeding rather than a minor illness.
When This Can Be an Emergency
Immediate urgent care is required if any of the following are present:
Difficulty breathing or coughing blood
Collapse or profound weakness
Pale gums or sudden anemia
Nosebleeds or bleeding from the mouth
Swollen abdomen (possible internal hemorrhage)
Large bruises or hematomas
Blood in urine or stool
Neurologic signs (possible brain or spinal bleeding)
This is a medical emergency even if exposure occurred days earlier.
How Veterinarians Assess This
Clinical signs alone cannot reliably determine severity.
Symptoms can appear similar while representing very different internal disease processes. Diagnostic testing is how veterinarians determine whether a condition is mild and self-limiting or serious and potentially life-threatening, and how they guide appropriate care.
Diagnostic testing may include:
Prothrombin Time (PT) — evaluates clotting factor depletion
Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (aPTT) — assesses advanced coagulopathy
Complete Blood Count (CBC) — evaluates anemia and blood loss
Packed Cell Volume / Total Protein — monitors hemorrhage severity
Thoracic radiographs — assesses bleeding into the chest
Abdominal ultrasound (FAST scan) — checks for internal bleeding
Urinalysis — evaluates urinary tract hemorrhage
Additional disease-specific testing (such as rodenticide screening or vitamin K–related assays) may be considered based on the overall clinical picture.
Veterinary Differentials - Serious / Must-Rule-Out First
Anticoagulant rodenticide toxicosisA poisoning that interferes with vitamin K–dependent clotting factors, leading to delayed internal or external bleeding that may worsen rapidly once clotting factors are depleted.Tests may include PT, aPTT, complete blood count, thoracic radiographs, abdominal ultrasound.
Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)A severe clotting disorder where clotting factors are consumed throughout the body, resulting in bleeding from multiple sites.Tests may include PT, aPTT, complete blood count, blood smear, chemistry panel.
Severe hepatic failureAdvanced liver disease can impair production of clotting factors and cause spontaneous bleeding.Tests may include serum chemistry profile, bile acids, PT, aPTT, abdominal ultrasound.
Immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (IMTP)An immune condition that destroys platelets, increasing the risk of spontaneous bleeding.Tests may include complete blood count, blood smear, PT, aPTT.
Heatstroke-associated coagulopathySystemic clotting failure following hyperthermia and tissue injury.Tests may include complete blood count, chemistry panel, PT, aPTT.
Trauma with internal hemorrhageBlunt or penetrating injury causing internal bleeding without obvious external wounds.Tests may include imaging, complete blood count, PT, aPTT.
Veterinary Differentials - Common / More Typical
Anemia from chronic blood lossGradual loss of blood over time, often with subtle early signs.Tests may include complete blood count, fecal testing, urinalysis.
Gastrointestinal bleedingBlood loss through the digestive tract that may present as dark stools or weakness.Tests may include complete blood count, fecal testing, abdominal imaging.
Urinary tract hemorrhageBleeding within the urinary system leading to blood-tinged urine and anemia.Tests may include urinalysis, complete blood count, imaging.
Congenital clotting disordersInherited conditions affecting normal clot formation.Tests may include PT, aPTT, specific clotting factor assays.
Drug-induced anticoagulationExposure to human anticoagulant medications or supplements affecting clotting.Tests may include PT, aPTT, medication history review.
Neoplasia-associated bleedingTumors that erode blood vessels or interfere with clotting mechanisms.Tests may include imaging, complete blood count, ultrasound.
Safety, Psychology, & Peace of Mind
Waiting can be dangerous with anticoagulant rodenticide exposure because bleeding often starts silently.
Early testing can identify clotting abnormalities before life-threatening hemorrhage occurs.
Veterinary assessment replaces uncertainty with clarity, allowing timely intervention and monitoring.
Most pets recover fully when care is started early — delay is the biggest risk factor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is anticoagulant rodenticide toxicosis an emergency?
Anticoagulant rodenticide toxicosis can range from mild to life-threatening, depending on the compound and timing. Because outward signs do not reliably indicate severity, this condition is treated as urgent. Same-day urgent care is recommended, even if the pet currently appears normal or symptoms seem mild.
My pet seems normal now — can this still be serious?
Yes. Pets often hide illness, and anticoagulant rodenticide toxicosis has a delayed onset. Apparent normal behavior does not reliably reflect internal bleeding risk, which is why veterinary assessment is appropriate even when no symptoms are visible.
What if exposure was days ago and nothing has happened yet?
Even a single exposure can be clinically meaningful. Temporary improvement does not equal resolution, because bleeding often begins several days after ingestion once clotting factors are depleted. Early assessment helps determine whether the condition is progressing silently.
Why are tests needed if my pet isn’t bleeding yet?
Clinical signs alone cannot determine severity. Diagnostic testing is how veterinarians identify clotting abnormalities before visible bleeding occurs and assess internal risk. Testing replaces guesswork with clarity and guides appropriate care decisions.
What should I do right now?
Do not rely on watchful waiting. Suspected anticoagulant rodenticide toxicosis warrants veterinary assessment, even without symptoms. Same-day urgent care helps reduce the risk of sudden, life-threatening bleeding and determines next steps.