# What "Used" To Be In Rat Poison?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-used-to-be-in-rat-poison/535724>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 11, 2010, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-used-to-be-in-rat-poison/535724 "2010-04-11T11:27:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-used-to-be-in-rat-poison/535724/21 "2010-04-12T16:55:04Z")

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> [@johnpost](#):
>
> the anticoagulant poisons are a much less hazard to humans and larger animals. accidental, and to your question intended, poisoning was much easier with the other poisons.

Probably the major reason. As noted in the wiki writeup, anticoagulant poisons also have the advantage that they make the rodent thirsty, so it goes out looking for water, and dies outside rather than dying in your walls and stinking up the house.

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**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-used-to-be-in-rat-poison/535724/22 "2010-04-12T21:13:13Z")

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My late father used to take prescribed Warfarin after a heart attack. He took it for many years, until seeing a doctor about his problems, who said  
“_Good God, what are you taking that stuff for?_”  
“_Nobody ever told me to stop_”  
“_Well stop it at once_”

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