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No, Red, you are correct, rat and mouse bait is NEVER safe for pets. Let me tell you as an emergency room veterinary technician, there is no such thing as a rat, mouse, gopher, slug, snail or mole bait that is safe for pets, even if it is labeled as such.
The rat and mouse baits that make the rodents bleed to death internally does the same thing to dogs and cats. It doesn't matter if they are "bruised" or not from crawling through small spaces, it will make them spontaneously bleed internally and they will die if not treated early enough.
The other type of rat and mouse bait (active ingredient is bromethalin) causes neurologic symptoms and does not affect clotting ability. Once a pet shows neuro symptoms from ingesting this type of rat bait there is nothing that can be done for them, it is not reversible like the anticoagulant type can be.
While we're on the subject, the slug bait that says "safe for pets" ISN'T. I don't know how many dogs our ER clinic has treated for ingesting that type of slug bait...
Just for the record. I do have a slug bait that is safe for everyone else....
....take a cool whip bowl...fill it about 1/2 full of beer. submerge the bowl in the ground partially, try to cover with room to get under the cover...SLUGS LOVE BEER. They fall in and drown. This is great slug bait.
Speaking of slugs - DH and I were putzing around in the yard today and I turned over a clay dish and found a nice fat slug. Remembering the video I'd seen I decided to take it to the coop to see if there was any interest from the girls. I dropped it on the ground and they looked at it and walked away. I picked it back up and dangled it like it was a shiny prize and Dilly, the lavender AM, came and sampled it, which brought Harper, the black AM, which intrigued the Barnie, Mimi, who promptly snatched it and ran circles around the run playing keep away with the other girls. (Whitey Ford was missing the fun because she's still sitting broody on her nest.)
I was laughing and ran to get DH but by the time we returned there was no sign of the slug except the gooey mess still left on Mimi's beak.
Harper and Dilly, being the good friends that they are followed her until she stood still so they could clean her beak for her. I enjoyed the display of cooperation as much as the slug chase. I told DH if he finds anymore yucky slugs now we know what to do with 'em. Such good girls.
