It was hunters from Balaruc who raised the alarm. Three of their dogs died in a few days, after a hunt in the Gardiole massif, between Sète, Frontignan and Gigean. And three others, monitored by veterinarians, were poisoned and are in serious condition.
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The cause of these deaths were meatballs probably poisoned with rat poison which were scattered throughout the Gardiole massif, particularly near paths and fire trails.
A few days after a hunt, several dogs became ill. Three died and three others have since been in very poor health. For the hunters of a group from Balaruc, the theory of criminal poisoning is beyond doubt.
Moreover, to verify their theory, they surveyed several areas of the massif and found meatballs mixed with kibble. They took several samples to have them analyzed.
Area hunting societies have been warned and their members are advised not to hunt with dogs.
For walkers and hikers, the same. It is prudent to avoid going to the Gardiole massif with a domestic animal, even if kept on a leash.
Finally, for family walks, be careful with children, they could playfully touch these contaminated pellets and then put their fingers in their mouth or even eat them, which can be very dangerous for young organisms.
Rat poison can cause poisoning within 24 to 48 hours and inhibit the ability of blood to clot, which can lead to internal bleeding in dogs. Even a small dose can be dangerous and fatal.
You must contact an on-call veterinarian as quickly as possible.
- If your animal has swallowed the poison in the last two hours, the toxicity is not proven and the veterinarian can make your animal vomit, in order to limit as much as possible the dose of raticide which will pass into the blood. An antidote is given to animals that have not regurgitated all of the poison swallowed.
- After 2 hours, making your pet vomit will be futile. The procedure therefore consists of implementing the antidote, when it exists, over a period of three consecutive weeks.
In humans, symptoms appear after a few days for a high dose, after a few weeks for repeated doses: blood in the urine, nosebleed, gum hemorrhage, blood in the stools, anemia, weakness.
The accidental intake of rat poison products based on anticoagulants does not generally lead, unless massive absorption, to coagulation disorders or hemorrhage. On the other hand, in children, serious hemorrhages can occur. A quick call to the firefighters or Samu for instructions or admission to the Emergency Department is essential.
