What are the most common rodenticides causing poisoning in animals?

• A. Anticoagulant rodenticides with anti-vitamin K, cholecalciferol (vitamin D3), zinc or aluminum phosphide, and strychnine-based products
• B. Anticoagulant rodenticides only
• C. Cholecalciferol and zinc phosphide only
• D. Strychnine-based products only

Answer: (C)

Rodenticide poisonings in animals most commonly come from highly toxic baits that animals can readily access, and two agents stand out in practice: cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) and zinc phosphide. Cholecalciferol causes life-threatening hypercalcemia and renal failure after ingestion, with signs evolving from vomiting and weakness to increased thirst, urination, and kidney damage if not treated promptly. Zinc phosphide, when it hits stomach acid, releases phosphine gas that triggers rapid multiorgan toxicity, producing severe GI distress, cardiovascular collapse, and shock. Because these two are widely used and readily ingested by pets, they appear most often in poisoning cases, making them the best fit for “most common.” Other rodenticides, like anticoagulants or strychnine, do cause poisonings too but either have a different clinical timeline or are used less frequently in ways that lead to the highest incidence, so they’re less representative of the typical exposure pattern seen in veterinary practice.