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Behavioral health medications are used in animals and humans. They include antidepressants, atypical antidepressants, antipsychotics, and amphetamines. Dogs and cats often require lower doses of these medications than humans and are sensitive to overdoses. As such, when a dog or cat gets into human doses of these medications or a pill vial of their own medication, behavioral health medication poisoning can occur.
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Bromethalin is a common rodenticide. Dogs are commonly poisoned when they find loose blocks placed for rodent control, or they access the bulk container. Clinical signs can develop as soon as 2 hours after exposure and as long as 5 days after exposure. There is no antidote for bromethalin, so promptly inducing vomiting can be lifesaving. Prognosis is poor to grave if severe clinical signs develop such as seizures, paralysis, or coma. Patients with milder clinical signs may recover after several weeks but may have permanent neurologic damage.
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Cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) has become increasingly more common as a residential rodenticide. While it may seem like a safer option than anticoagulants, there is no antidote available and the amount in a single block is a severe overdose in nearly all animals. This handout discusses clinical signs, treatments, and prognosis for cholecalciferol poisoning in pets.
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All glues containing isocyanate and diisocyanate can expand. Pets exposed to a very small amount of wet or liquid expanding glue may consume enough product to be problematic. Foreign body obstruction due to a mass of expanded glue in the stomach is the most common outcome in dogs ingesting expanding wood glues. After abdominal X-rays confirm the presence of a glue mass and obstruction, surgery is required to remove the mass, or endoscopy in mild cases. The prognosis for recovery from expanding glue ingestion depends on the removal of the mass.
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Mole and gopher baits are often flavored to attract pests, but cats and dogs may also ingest them if given the chance. The active ingredients in these baits can cause significant illness if enough is ingested. The most common active ingredients used in mole and gopher baits are zinc phosphide and bromethalin. There is no antidote for bromethalin poisoning, so decontamination within an appropriate time is key to a good outcome.
