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Following absorption, coumarins are carried bound to plasma albumin. Therefore, effects are potentiated by drugs that are also
 
Following absorption, coumarins are carried bound to plasma albumin. Therefore, effects are potentiated by drugs that are also
 
bound to albumin such as phenylbutazone, or conditions that result in low plasma albumin levels such as renal insufficiency.
 
bound to albumin such as phenylbutazone, or conditions that result in low plasma albumin levels such as renal insufficiency.
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Widely available to the general public as rodenticides. Dogs in particular seem to find them palatable. Cats and other
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species may become poisoned by eating rodents that have ingested bait. Contamination of foodstuffs by careless
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use has also caused poisoning in all species.
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Fungi growing on poorly prepared hay or silage containing sweet vernal grass or sweet clover may break down
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natural coumarins in the plants to form dicoumarol and cause poisoning in herbivores. Coumarin rodenticides were
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originally developed from spoiled sweet clover hay when its anticoagulative effects were noticed.
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Barn owls have been shown to be affected by the 'second generation' anticoagulative rodenticides which were
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developed to counter increasing resistance to warfarin in rodents. These compounds are more persistent in the rodent
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and are toxic to owls when the rodent is eaten as prey. Farmers should be encouraged not to use second generation
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rodenticides if they have barn owls on their property. The barn owls are probably just as effective as the rodenticide
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anyway!
    
==Signalment==
 
==Signalment==
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