Dog Vomit Containing Rat Bait Poisons Vet Staff in Three States

Dog barf is already bad news. What could be worse? Bad news about dog barf.

Veterinary hospital staff in three states have fallen sick after inhaling the fumes from dogs that have eaten a common rodent poison, according to the US Centers for Disease Control's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Gopher; photo by Chuck Abbe. Zinc phosphide is an inorganic chemical compound commonly added to pellets meant to kill gophers and moles. On contact with stomach acid and water -- that is, once swallowed -- zinc phosphide produces the highly toxic gas phosphine. After ingesting rodent bait containing zinc phosphide, dogs usually vomit, releasing phosphine into the air, which can poison humans. There is no known antidote.

The CDC reports phosphine poisonings at four veterinary hospitals: two in Michigan, one in Iowa, and one in Washington state. Each of these hospitals had treated a dog that had ingested rodent bait. Eight hospital workers have been poisoned thus far. According to the CDC, all experienced "transient symptoms" related to phosphine inhalation -- including chest tightness, shortness of breath, headache, and nausea.

In one of these cases, "a female Dachshund, weight unknown, was playing outdoors when she vomited behind some bushes and collapsed. Her owners rushed the limp dog to a Washington veterinary hospital. She was unresponsive and had diarrhea, a weak pulse, pinpoint pupils, and a temperature of 107F," reads the CDC's report. "Subsequently, the semicomatose dog vomited onto paper towels. ... A female veterinary technician, aged 34 years, who sniffed the dog's vomitus on the paper towels to determine whether it smelled like food immediately developed abdominal pain and nausea. ... Suspecting [zinc phosphide] toxicity, the veterinarian ... retrieved the vomitus about 20 minutes after it was put in the trash, placed it in a plastic bag, sealed it, froze it, and sent it to the Washington State Department of Health.

Dachshund by Shutterstock.com

The State Department of Labor and Industries' Industrial Hygiene laboratory analyzed the barf and discovered phosphorus and zinc in it.

In one of the Michigan cases, a 70-pound dog was brought into a veterinary hospital after consuming rodent pellets. "Vomiting was induced in the examination room using hydrogen peroxide, and two hospital workers were poisoned." Each of them experienced multiple symptoms. "The state poison control center advised both victims to ventilate the room and move to fresh air. No other medical care was received. Both recovered completely.

"Four other exposed staff members experienced only one symptom each. ... All six workers had been exposed by entering the examination room or a nearby area. Decontamination was conducted by disposing of the vomitus in an outdoor trash container and ventilating the room. All symptoms abated as soon as fresh air was circulated in the examination room and other areas of the veterinary hospital," reads the CDC's report.  

All four dogs involved in these poisoning cases recovered fully, according to the report. All's well that ends well, but the less barf the better.

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Why do cats vomit and should I be concerned?

Witnessing your cat get into a crouched posture, make retching sounds and then vomit undigested food or bile usually on a hard-to-clean surface like your carpet or your bedroom pillow is not pleasant for you and certainly not fun for your cat.

Why do cats vomit? As I discovered during a medical lecture presented at the Western Veterinary Conference in Las Vegas, the reasons can be many and complex. And when it is considered “normal” and when should you be taking your cat to your veterinarian – pronto?

Providing the answers at the WVC was Dr. Frederic Gaschen, board-certified in internal medicine and associate professor at Louisiana State University. He is also president of the Comparative Gastroenterology Society. In other words, his credentials qualify him to be an expert on the digestion habits of cats – and dogs.

Unlike dogs, cats are more discriminate eaters and less likely to eat something they shouldn’t. That’s the good news. But also unlike dogs, cats tend to mask their pain so you don’t know they are in a serious health situation until the condition escalates. That’s the bad news.

“In assessing a cat, it is important to not forget the basics when taking the history and performing the physical exam,” said Dr. Gaschen. “You need to take a systematic approach to addressing vomiting in cats so you can rule out possible causes.”

Pinpointing the cause of vomiting requires the skills of a detective. Vomiting can be linked to:

Stomach infectionsForeign body obstructions (Some cats chew wool and other inedible materials – a condition known as pica.)Adverse reaction to certain medications or accidentally ingesting aspirin or poisonous plantsFood intolerance or allergiesDiseases, including irritable bowel disease (IBD), lymphoma or liver diseaseNeurological causes like motion sicknessSevere constipation

Dr. Gaschen said lab tests, including urinalysis and blood work, are advised if the cat displays other clinical signs besides vomiting – such as dehydration, weight loss, lethargy or a weakened appetite. The age of the cat needs to be considered. Vomiting in younger cats may be due to parasites, bacterial infections, ingesting a foreign object or food allergy. In older cats, vomiting may be associated with hyperthyroidism, chronic renal disease, liver disease, lymphoma or pancreatitis.

Depending on the severity of symptoms, X rays, ultrasound, endoscopy and even exploratory surgery may be warranted.

As you can see, pinpointing the cause of vomiting so the right treatment plan can be provided can be challenging. And as for frequency, Dr. Gaschen said the occasional regurgitation – say once or twice a month – should not be cause for alarm, providing your cat appears healthy, has a good energy level and is eating properly.

Bottom line: know what’s normal behavior in your cat and weigh her weekly (down to the ounce, if at all possible), so you can provide your veterinarian with specific details to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of her vomiting episodes.

Photo credit: IStock

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