The risk profile is very low, anecdotal examples
are not evidence based.
What is very clear however is that anticoagulant
baits are clearly entering into our native species
food chain.
As a closing to this subject there have been no reported deaths of native rodent species from
Ratsak Naturals.
There are however numerous published papers and studies on the harm being done to native owls from anticoagulant rodenticides
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An absence of data is not evidence.
Have there been studies performed in Australia to confirm that Ratsak Naturals is not toxic to small marsupials?
Have there been studies of Australia’s native rodents to determine their preference or avoidance of Ratsak Naturals, which is known to be toxic?
Isn’t it appropriate to provide advice on the use of Ratsak’s alternative and possible impact on off target native species? Politely should Ratsak’s importer be able to provide a full list of Australian natives that users need to consider, and the areas/circumstances in which they may be found?
It’s easy to suggest Ratsak Naturals is just another toxic chemical product, albeit with a lesser impact on off target species. It may be low risk to humans and pets. It’s not evident as a product that is toxic to rodents, the potential for harm in the Australian environment is zero. Even though Ratsak is offering an alternate toxin to the anticoagulant products better known and hazardous to other species, don’t all such products need to be used in a managed and controlled way?
Consumers have a long history of exposure to products that have been promoted and assured as natural and unconditionally safe, with lesser truths emerging after the fact. Would I choose Ratsak Naturals? I don’t see it as an appropriate product in our circumstance, nor the more toxic alternatives. It may be different if we lived on the 9th floor of a high rise. However if a rodent will take the bait of which it needs to consume a substantial quantity to be effective, why not just set a trap instead?
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It appears you are completely misguided in your understanding of how this product works.
You are more likely to be doing more harm to native rodents by baiting them with peanut butter.
It is not advisable to feed native rodents peanut butter.
Mitigation is the key to success and nothing is unconditionally safe even peanut butter.
Native rat species are particularly shy, and usually confine themselves to natural waterways
baiting or feeding with peanut butter will put them in harm.
What harm does it do exactly?
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What do you mean by native rats/mice? Do you mean marsupials only or do you admit placentals as well? If you admit placentals do you draw a line between those that have been here a while and those that only arrived with the Europeans?
Of these which of the three possible groups is rarely seen in populated areas or farming communities?
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We use a non-lethal trap which is then emptied into bush about 1km. away. They love our tomatoes!!
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Welcome @Madeleine
Note we have an existing topic that covers the same product, and some further discussion.
Hi @Madeleine, welcome to the community and sorry to hear about the scare you had.
When you contacted the vet, did you make it clear which Ratsak it was. There are several different products under the Ratsak brand, some which have different effects in pets which may consume the Ratsak directly or vermin killed by the Ratsak.
I have also moved you post to an existing thread about the natural Ratsak product, as indicated by @mark_m.
The marketing materials about the product indicate it is safe when used in accordance with the instructions…
Looking at the SDS, the active ingredients are glutens, corn and sodium chloride (table salt).
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I am sorry to hear your dog was ill but there may be more to this story.
Did the vet say that this product specifically was the problem? The Ratsak brand has several formulations, some are definitely not safe for animals.
It is not a repellent but a specialised poison. The blurb that comes with the product says that it targets a specific sensor in the stomach that rodents have that other animals do not. Unless they are lying about that mechanism it is hard to see how it made your dog sick.
The safety data sheet says the ingredients are:
- COMPOSITION INFORMATION
CHEMICAL ENTITY CAS NO PROPORTION
Glutens, corn 66071-96-3 550 g/Kg
Sodium chloride (NaCl) 7647-14-5 20 g/Kg
Ingredients determined to be Non-Hazardous Balance
There is nothing there that would normally be poisonous to dogs.
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One of the reasons poisons are so effective against RATS is because they do not have a vomiting centre and once they ingest something orally they can’t get rid of it!
Most ‘traditional’ rat poisons are based on warfarin and coumadin derivatives - anticoagulants that can cause severe internal bleeding and lead to death at certain doses. Any animal (including human beings) will be affected by these poisons and so a trap or a safer alternative should be used. I’m not sure if the latest factor Xa inhibitors, eg rivaroxaban would be as effective and/or safer.
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