Dog-Owners: Beware of Rat Poisoning in Cadman Plaza!

By on January 8, 2015 6:07 pm in Pets

Dr. Heather Thomson from Brooklyn Heights Veterinary Hospital contacted BHB to let us know about a couple of neighborhood dogs that have had recent run-ins with rat poisoning in Cadman Plaza. Fortunately, both dogs are going to be fine.

Dr. Thomson has treated two dogs that ingested warfarin, an anti-coagulant commonly used as rat poisoning.  It kills pests by causing massive internal bleeding and dogs that have ingested it generally don’t show symptoms.

“It’s supposed to be put into a confined container, but that’s doesn’t seem to have been what’s happening,” said Thomson. “One client saw her dog get into it and brought it home to find out what it was.”

While Thomson couldn’t say where specifically in Cadman Plaza the dogs had discovered the stuff, she warns dog-owners to keep an eye on what their pets are rooting around with.

“The poison generally kicks in in a few days to a week, and the dogs could be acting perfectly normally,” she said. “If your dog ate it and you didn’t know it, the dog could end up bleeding out before you even know they’d been exposed to it.”

Thomson has been in touch with both the city and Cadman Plaza Park officials to impress upon the exterminating services to make sure that the poison is distributed appropriately so that it’s no harm to dogs.

If you think that your dog has come across the poison, call your veterinarian immediately.

1/12 update: Dr. Thomson sent along these photos of the poison, taken by the owners of the dogs:

 

 

And next week we’ll have news on the upgrades we can expect when Dr. Thomson’s office at the corner of Hicks and Cranberry re-opens this spring!

 

 

 

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  • Brixtony

    thanks for the warning – there is also a ridiculous and dangerous amount of salt on the sidewalk around Cadman, Boro Hall and Hillside parks

  • Mini_Cooper

    Both the ridiculous amount of ice melt (I find it to be all over our neighborhood) and the rat poison have been problems for years, tho there are usually ‘poison’ signs posted. Hopefully that’s still the case. thanks, Dr. Thomson!!!!!!!

  • Diesel

    “Salt” as in Sodium Chloride is not “dangerous” or a problem for my paws. The stuff that burns my tootsies is Calcium Chloride, the small white beads. Building owners/supers should only use Plain Rock Salt for snow and ice melting, it works just fine and it’s cheaper.

  • Diesel

    Thanks Heather, Woof!

  • Brixtony

    Respectfully, I must disagree. This explains it a bit re. the dangers of sodium chloride in the environment: http://www.clm.com/publication.cfm?ID=321. One excerpt: “Melting snow dissolves salt into charged sodium and chloride ions which can lead to elevated levels of sodium and chloride in soil and water. Road salt is a major culprit for elevated chloride levels in ground and surface waters of the northern United States and in many urban streams.” There are also additives that, with the salt, kill plants, fish and insects.

    As to the poor paws, ever rub salt into a wound? Many sites have a version of this statement: “According to the ASPCA, it is the sodium chloride and calcium chloride in the most common ice melts that is potentially damaging to the puppy in your life. If your dog walks on an ice melt containing one of these chemicals, her paws can become dry and cracked. And if she licks her paws or eats the ice melt (the ASPCA cautions that she can also ingest it by drinking from a puddle of melted snow containing ice melt), her problems can get worse”

  • Diesel

    Of course if one rubs salt in an open wound it will hurt, that’s not the point. Try this, wet you hand and cover it with salt, then wet you other hand and and cover it with Calcium Chloride and see why happens. Same thing with my paws, The CC will burn you the plain salt won’t.

    The point is; something must be used to melt snow and ice in order to keep the streets and sidewalks safe, so it might as well be plain old Sodium Chloride (Rock Salt) than the Calcium Chloride that burns.

    It is easy to complain and say this or that is no good but you offer no solution? To that end, thanks for the link, it helps reenforce my point as it clearly states there is no easy solution, as the alternates are more costly and present their own environmental problems. And on that point, here in NYC we have no streams or ground water at risk, a most all all of the snow-melt salt water winds up in the rivers or bays that are already salt or brackish water. So no harm there.

    Oops, gotta go my “master” coming home and if he finds out I know how to use the computer he jus might insist I start really earning my keep… Bye ;p

  • OutragedDad

    My only ask for you is to keep your dogs out of the turf. This issue has brought self-entitlement to dog owners to take over our kid’s turf. Per the rules, dogs are not allowed on the turf with or without a leash at any time of day. Thanks!