# Rat poison!!



## penname

It's happening where I live, my sister just called to tell me. She's found pigeons on the ground which died hours later. They put red/pink like bead things in little bags for the rats, of course the pigeons, doves and even sparrows open them and eat them, is there anything that can be done? We remove these bags when we find them but they're all over the place and we can't remove them all. Can these poisoned birds be cured?? It's horrible!!!


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## Feefo

How horrible! Rat poison stops the blood from coagulating and the victims die slowly. Vitamin K is an antidote.

Cynthia


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## penname

How do you administer it and how much? Thankfully I haven't seen any dying birds, but I don't know if my sister will try to save any she finds. As for me, I'd be afraid of taking any birds in because of viruses (she doesn't have any birds). Plus I'm not very able at all, never handled a bird before Noddy, she's had extensive experience saving birds. 

What's the success rate like? I remember one of my dogs ingested something, we suspect it was strychnine and it took days to get her through it, convulsions non stop, she even died at the vet's, her tongue went blue and she stopped breathing but he was able to save her with CPR and calcium injections, it was a terrible time. It's a miracle she made it. I don't feel like going through this en masse with the pigeons here 

Why are we so destructive as a species!


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## penname

Ugh! Came across this while googling rat poison and pigeons:

http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/forums/treehouse/5866-help-sick-pigeon.html


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## Pidgey

If they're wild birds then you'd have to break up some vitamin K pills and mix them in grain to feed them. It would be a bit tricky.

Pidgey


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## penname

They're wild birds, but won't put up a fight (too sick to), I doubt they'd eat so I'm guessing it would be easy enough to put the tablets directly into their throats? How much vitamin K to treat? How often? Sister says the two birds she found have died  I expect there'll be more (would like to be prepared and know what to do) and eventually some dead kestrels too, it's horrible.

As always I appreciate your help.


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## Whitefeather

penname said:


> It's happening where I live, my sister just called to tell me. She's found pigeons on the ground which died hours later.
> 
> **They put red/pink like bead things in little bags for the rats, of course the pigeons, doves and even sparrows open them and eat them, is there anything that can be done?*
> 
> We remove these bags when we find them but they're all over the place and we can't remove them all. Can these poisoned birds be cured?? It's horrible!!!


I'm sorry to hear about this. 

* Without hesitation I would gather up one of the bags as well as one of the birds (secure each in a separate zip lock bag) & present it to the authorities so an investigation, & clean up process, can be started as well as the contents of the bag analysed, and a necropsy be done on the bird. 

Whoever is doing this, is creating a possible chain reaction of deaths. A rat, bird etc., eats the stuff then another animal (dog or cat, etc.) comes along & feeds off that animal. Heaven forbid a child were to pick up one of these bags. 

Please do keep us posted.

Cindy


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## Pidgey

2.5-5 mg/kg, PO, q24h. That means: 2.5 to 5 milligrams per kilogram of bird, orally every 24 hours. You can probably give it once per day if you like. You might get a vitamin K that's shown in "International Units". If so, we'd have to find a conversion factor. Depending on which rat poison, you'd treat between two and four weeks.

Pidgey


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## penname

AZWhitefeather said:


> I'm sorry to hear about this.
> 
> * Without hesitation I would gather up one of the bags as well as one of the birds (secure each in a separate zip lock bag) & present it to the authorities so an investigation, & clean up process, can be started as well as the contents of the bag analysed, and a necropsy be done on the bird.
> 
> Whoever is doing this, is creating a possible chain reaction of deaths. A rat, bird etc., eats the stuff then another animal (dog or cat, etc.) comes along & feeds off that animal. Heaven forbid a child were to pick up one of these bags.
> 
> Please do keep us posted.
> 
> Cindy



Thank you for your kind words. It is horrible indeed...

Sadly it is usually the government here which does these things, strychnine is used a lot to kill stray dogs and cats (which are a big problem here), or they shoot them. There are some new animal shelters here desperately trying to get some rights for these poor animals but it's overwhelming work. There is no one to complain to about the rat poison, we try to remove as many as we can but they keep putting more whenever someone complains about mice and rats. The bags look like candy, you're correct in pointing out that even children can fall prey to them 

The two pigeons my sister found died, I don't think she wants to get involved. I haven't seen any and thankfully the doves living in my garden seem okay, I hope it stays that way.


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## penname

Pidgey said:


> 2.5-5 mg/kg, PO, q24h. That means: 2.5 to 5 milligrams per kilogram of bird, orally every 24 hours. You can probably give it once per day if you like. You might get a vitamin K that's shown in "International Units". If so, we'd have to find a conversion factor. Depending on which rat poison, you'd treat between two and four weeks.
> 
> Pidgey


Brilliant, I will write this down and keep it handy just in case I find a fallen bird. Thank you very much indeed. I will see what dosages of vitamin K are available here and post back my findings. I guess it's good to keep some handy just in case anyone chucks a bag of it in my yard! It happened twice! Thank God my dogs didn't touch it, I would have been devastated!


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## Grimaldy

The standard form of first aid for poisoning is to try to get water into the bird and induce vomiting if you can, to get as much poison out as quickly as possible. Some people rely on forcing about 15-20 ml of warm water at a time with a little table salt mixed in into the bird, then holding it upside down and trying to push it out. If any of the poison has made its way past the gizzard (stomach) using Pidgey's recommended dosages of Vitamin K will help greatly and should be used as well.

P.S. It is difficult to make up and keep handy, but a solution of Glauber's Salts in water will also make a handy laxative and chemical absorbent with unknown poisons.


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