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Anticoagulant rodenticides
warfarin, bromadiolone, brodifacoum, rat poison
A professional reference for veterinary specialists. It does not replace clinical judgement.
Species and toxic dose
| Species | Risk | Toxic dose |
|---|---|---|
| Dog | Toxic | Not established in the open sources |
| Cat | Toxic | Severe poisoning from a single 5-50 mg/kg, or about 1 mg/kg daily. Reference book A veterinary reference written and reviewed by specialists, summarising accepted practice. The product label gives the authorised dose. |
Toxic principle
Block vitamin K epoxide reductase, so clotting factors II, VII, IX and X are not activated. Second-generation products are highly toxic and persist in the body. Relay poisoning through eaten rodents is possible.
Onset
3-7 days, once existing clotting factors run out.
Clinical signs
Bleeding anywhere, most often into the lungs and chest (cough, dyspnoea, haemothorax); weakness, bruising, lameness from joint bleeding, neurological signs from bleeding in the brain or spinal cord.
Organs affected
Coagulation; lungs and chest; any tissue.
Treatment principle (for veterinarians)
Emesis and activated charcoal are effective within 2-4 hours of ingestion. The antidote is vitamin K1 by mouth, for 14 days after warfarin, 21 days after bromadiolone and 30 days after brodifacoum or an unknown product; the prothrombin time is rechecked about 48 hours after the last dose. A bleeding animal needs whole blood or plasma. Intravenous vitamin K1 products with polysorbate 80 carry a risk of severe hypersensitivity; a lecithin-based product was used without adverse effects in a 2026 series.
A summary of the principles in the sources, not a protocol: doses and the plan are the treating veterinarian's decision.
Notes
The prothrombin time (PT) is the earliest test to change, because factor VII has the shortest half-life.
Sources
- Scientific article. Merola V, Dunayer E. The 10 most common toxicoses in cats. Veterinary Medicine, Jun 2006:339-342 (ASPCA) 2006
- Scientific article. Dartencet C, et al. Intravenous vitamin K1 in dogs and cats with anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning (58 cases). Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care 36(3):365-371 2026
- Reference book. Department of Animal Science, Cornell University. Common cat toxicities. poisonousplants.ansci.cornell.edu 2018
- Reference book. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Rodent control pesticide safety review. epa.gov 2025
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This reference is still growing. Missing a product? Let us know. · Report an error or request an addition · Updated: 22 Oct 2026