South Aus - rat bait poisoning increase

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

Hi all

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-30/increase-in-dog-poisonings-linked-to-rat-and-mouse-bait/8571850

 

During May, the University of Adelaide's Animal Health Centre at Roseworthy treated 19 dogs suffering with rat bat poisoning, including two that later died.

 

Veterinary clinician Dr Peter Hutchison said there were just four cases in April.

 

"Some of the animals are eating the mice and others are managing to get to the baits which are maybe hidden in the shed or hidden behind the fridge," he said.

He said about 50 per cent of the cases at the health centre involved dogs eating poisoned rodents, not bait.

Note - there has also been a case in Salisbury Park (park at the west end of Saints road - where Para Districts dog club meet) - of a man feeding rat sack to a JRT in the fenced off dog park.   That dog went straight to the vet for the vomit treatment - hopefully ok.

[persephone]

No surprise there  ... increase in mouse numbers = more people using poison ... 
and , of course the P'd off neighbour or local evil person  making ratbait rissoles

[juice]

Its a real worry of mine, someone round here is clearly baiting as last week i let the dogs out for last pee and my pup started to nudge something in the grass, it was a dying rat.Thankfully Zelda didn't see it first or she would have eaten it . 

Its the second one, a few months ago there was another dead rat in the middle of my lawn one saturday arvo, thankfully Zelda was inside then too.

I hate that they are confused by the bait and just die in random open spaces.

[persephone]

our dogs  won't normally eat dead mice - they just roll on them  !

Edited May 31, 2017 by persephone

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

mine likes to roll in dead fishy things but she's not interested in dead mammals or birds so far.  (phew pyew)

[juice]

Another one now on the retaining wall dying , jack spotted it and I'm sure he would throw it around , it's creeping me out as I'm waiting for it to die before I try and move it and it's wedged behind the ivy .Allday I have been checking on it and it's still just breathing poor thing .

Edited June 1, 2017 by juice

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

Quote

I have been checking on it and it's still just breathing poor thing .

I'd be tempted to catch it with tongs or a long handled hoe and dispatch it quickly...  Sigh.  

 

Someone on the radio was talking about a mice trap they made out of a deep bucket and a bait bottle that they climb onto and then it rolls and drops them in the bucket - she caught 35 mice in one night.   She did not mention how she dispatched them either.