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nafex - RE: [NAFEX] Pesky Tree Rats

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  • From: Lucky Pittman <lucky.pittman@murraystate.edu>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: RE: [NAFEX] Pesky Tree Rats
  • Date: Wed, 06 Apr 2005 08:24:59 -0500

At 05:58 PM 4/5/2005, you wrote:
Lucky,
 
Thanks for the warning! 
 
We have scattered the Rampage packets into areas where only rats or mice would be likely to find them.  The rats have to gnaw open the package themselves and eat – in spite of the clearly worded warning that it would kill them… our cats showed no interest in the fallen rats, and dogs didn’t have access to the bait, so we never faced the problem of pets becoming contaminated.  Although the product was advertised as ‘safe’ for non-rodents, it doesn’t surprise me that direct consumption by small mammals (puppies) could lead to problems.

Steve,
I've not researched it, or spoken with our toxicologist, but I suspect the 'safety' is as you initially described it - secondary consumers(animals consuming the initially poisoned rats/mice) are relatively safe from toxicosis - which is definitely not the case with most of the potentiated anticoagulant baits(brodifacoum, diphacinone,etc.).
I wouldn't consider the Vitamin D analogs to be 'safe' for any non-rodent, if consumed directly.  While the cases of Rampage/Quintox poisoning I've seen in dogs were mainly in puppies, they weren't necessarily 'small' - one was a 50-60 lb Lab.  And I've also seen reports of the same sort of tissue mineralization(stomach, kidney, lung) and death in adult swine, when their ration was mis-formulated, with substitution of Vitamin D concentrate in place of dicalcium phosphate.

Lucky Pittman
USDA Cold Zone 6
AHS Heat Zone 7
Hopkinsville, KY



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