What Happens If a Human Eats Rat Poison?

Rat poison can cause serious health problems and even death in humans and pets

Rat poison is toxic to humans and can cause internal bleeding, organ failure, paralysis, and coma. The symptoms associated with ingesting, touching, or inhaling it may not appear until hours or even days after exposure. Emergency treatment is needed, as contact with rat poison can lead to death.

Common active ingredients in rat poisons (rodenticides) have blood-thinning, neurotoxic, and other harmful health effects. Some formulas are more dangerous to humans than others, but all must be handled with care.

This article discusses what happens if a person consumes rat poison and what you should do. It also describes symptoms of rat poisoning, possible complications, and how to prevent accidental poisoning.

Brown Rat Eating Grain in a Barn.
Nature Picture Library / Getty Images

What Rat Poison Does to Humans

Common symptoms of rodenticide poisoning in humans, which may not be visible for up to five days after exposure, include:

Possible Complications

Complications of ingesting rat poison are extremely serious and include brain damage, liver damage, kidney failure, coma, and even death.

There are also complications associated with administering treatment, such as:

What to Do If You Touch, Inhale, or Ingest Rat Poison

If you or your loved one has swallowed, touched, or inhaled rat poison, do not try to treat the poisoning with over-the-counter medication or natural remedies.

Contact Poison Control immediately and follow their instructions. Waiting increases the risk of serious complications.

Call 1-800-222-1222 or use the Poison Control Triage Portal online. If someone is unconscious or having difficulty breathing, call 911 instead.

Labels on rat poison products always show first aid instructions. Always read them before you open the product just in case you are exposed.

For example, the product label for CONTRAC All-Weather BLOX (an anticoagulant with bromadiolone) instructs:

  • If ingested, you should first call Poison Control, then sip a glass of water if you're able to swallow. You should not try to vomit unless a poison control expert or your doctor tells you to.
  • If you get rat poison on your skin or clothing, you should remove the clothing and rinse your skin immediately for 15 to 20 minutes. Call Poison Control for advice as soon as you can.
  • If you get rat poison in your eyes, you should flush your eyes (while open) with water for 15 to 20 minutes, remove any contact lenses after five minutes, then continue to flush and call Poison Control.

Does Milk Dilute Poison?

No. If you have swallowed poison, drinking small amounts of water or milk may help soothe burning or irritation for a short time, but it will not reduce the toxins in your body.

Are All Rat Poisons Equally Dangerous?

While all rat poisons can cause health problems, some are less harmful than others. Bromethalin is considered less toxic to humans because you would need to ingest a significant amount to be fatal—more than an accident.

Data on bromethalin poisoning in children indicate it is “self-limited in toxicity” due to the large amount needed to cause death. It can, however, cause severe gastrointestinal symptoms.

Though it's very rare, thallium poisoning may occur, typically from old rat poison products. The chemical absorbs into the skin and gastrointestinal tract quickly, and exposure to as little as 8 mg can be fatal.

It would take a large dose of cholecalciferol to cause calcium toxicity (hypercalcemia) in a person. Cholecalciferol poisoning is far more common in pets than it is in people.

Ingredients in some common brands of rat poison on the market include:

  • Havoc Rodenticide Bait: A blood thinner that contains brodifacoum
  • Tomcat Bait Chunx: A single-dose poison (only needs to be eaten once to kill) that contains bromethalin
  • Bell Contrac Rodent Control: A blood thinner that contains bromadiolone
  • Neogen Rodenticide: A blood thinner that contains diphacinone
  • ZP Tracking Powder: An indoor rat poison that contains cholecalciferol

Some rat poison products contain blue or green dye so that you can quickly identify when someone has touched or swallowed them. If possible, check the packaging for the active ingredient and share that information with healthcare providers. This can ensure the correct treatment is given.

Treatment

Treatment for accidental human ingestion of rat poison may include oral and/or intravenous (IV) medication. Depending on the specific case, individuals may or may not fully recover and long-term treatment may be needed.

Anticoagulant Rat Poisons

Many rat poisons contain anticoagulants, also known as blood thinners. These are responsible for more than half of all of rat poison-related calls to the Poison Control Center each year.

Anticoagulant rat poisons include: 

  • First-generation anticoagulants: warfarin, chlorophacinone, and diphacinone. 
  • Second-generation anticoagulants: brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, and difethialone. 

The anticoagulants in rat poisons stop the actions of a vitamin K enzyme your body needs to form blood clots. To reverse this blood thinning effect, you may be given vitamin K1 therapy through an IV.

Blood-thinning poisons called superwarfarins have long-lasting effects, so you will need to take oral doses of vitamin K1 therapy for about 168 consecutive days.

Non-Anticoagulant Rat Poisons

Ingredients in non-anticoagulant rat poisons include bromethalin, cholecalciferol, strychnine, and zinc phosphide.

There are no drugs to reverse the effects of non-anticoagulant rat poisons like bromethalin, strychnine, or zinc phosphide. Supportive care may include IV fluids and treatments for specific symptoms. Activated charcoal or ipecac may be used to detox the gastrointestinal tract.

Rat Control and Poisoning Prevention

The best way to prevent accidental rat poisoning is to avoid having to use these products in the first place. If you do have to use them, be sure to do so with great care.

Keeping Rats Away

To prevent rodents from entering your home:

  • Never leave food or wrappers lying around the house.
  • Always toss leftover food items into a tightly sealed trash can outside of your home.
  • Make sure any cracks or crevices in your walls, windows, and doors are fully sealed, along with garbage cans and leaky faucets.
  • Keep bushes and other plants around the outside of your home trimmed so that rats will be less likely to nest in them.

Non-toxic rat and rodent repellents you could try include:

  • Fresh Cab Botanical Rodent Repellent: This EPA-registered natural repellent is made of balsam fir oil, fragrance oil, and plant fibers. It is safe for both indoor or outdoor use.
  • Peppermint oil: Rats hate this smell. Wet cotton balls with this essential oil and place them near the nest or wherever you find droppings. This probably won't banish pests for good, but it can be a temporary solution.
  • Vinegar: Any strong-smelling substance that is non-toxic to you or your pets may keep rats away temporarily. Consider mopping the floor with vinegar on a regular basis.
  • Diatomaceous earth: This powdery substance is made of fossilized aquatic organisms called diatoms. It is non-toxic to humans but causes rodents' insides to completely dry out when they eat it.

Use Rat Traps

If this fails, opt for rat traps. Place traps behind appliances or other areas that children and pets cannot reach.

Keep in mind that rats and mice rarely go far from their nests, so you do not need to place traps in every nook and cranny across the room. You can just place them within 10 to 12 feet of the nest.

Proper Use and Storage of Rat Poison

If rat poison seems necessary, it is important that you use and store it properly.

As of 2011, rat poison bait must be sold in the form of blocks rather than pellets or loose bait. It must also be packaged in a tamper-proof bait station.

If you have any of the older forms of rat poison around the house, you may want to throw them out and buy safer bait.

Also:

  • Rodenticide should always be stored in cool, dry places that cannot be reached by children or pets. Avoid using rat poison in your kitchen.
  • Always wear protective gear (gloves, eyewear, and a mask) when handling rat poison, dead rodents, or rat nests.
  • Wash your hands well with soap and water after you're done. Wash any surfaces or handles you may have touched in the process, too.

How Much Rat Poison is Lethal to Dogs?

It doesn't take much rat poison to kill a dog. Just 15-30 mg is lethal for a dog weighing 15 lbs or less. For larger dogs, a lethal dose us around 100 mg. 

If your dog eats rat poison, call the ASPCA's poison control line at 1-888-426-4435 right away, regardless of how much you believe they ingested.

Summary

Rat poison is highly toxic to humans and animals whether it is touched, smelled, or swallowed. Rat poisoning can be lethal, but symptoms don't always appear right away.

Should you or your loved one come in contact with rat poison, do not wait for symptoms to appear. Head to the nearest urgent care or emergency room right away.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Can I handle rat poison while pregnant?

    No. Handling pesticides, like rat poison, while pregnant increases your risk of miscarriage, as well as having a baby with birth defects, or other issues.

  • What should I do if my dog ate rat poison?

    If your pet eats rat poison, you need to act fast. Take your dog to the nearest veterinarian right away. Note when your dog ate the poison, how much you suspect they ate, and what kind of poison it was. If you can, bring the packaging with you. If you cannot get to a vet, call the Animal Poison Control Center immediately at 1-888-426-4435.

14 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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By Rod Brouhard, EMT-P
Rod Brouhard is an emergency medical technician paramedic (EMT-P), journalist, educator, and advocate for emergency medical service providers and patients.