Went over to my friend's this morning and went for a walk over on her local field, its a huge field that lots of dogs walkers use with a path all around it's perimeter (the owner grows sugar beet on it) and it's bordered by other fields and a small nature reserve. Apparently in one of those adjoining fields there were lots of rabbits and last week there was a notice on the fence telling people to be careful with their dogs as poison had been put down to kill the rabbits. My friend could not remember the exact name but thought it was something like alum? She said whatever it was it obviously worked as no rabbits have been seen all week.She and a lot of people were a bit concerned that their dogs could be affected if they got into that field or came across any of the poisoned rabbits. Anyone have any ideas what this poison could be?

Likely to be aluminium phosphide (possible brand name Phostoxin) which is a non-anti-coagulant gas producing tablet style poison. Its applied IN the burrows of rats/rabbits/moles and produces gas when it gets damp (which it does from the air).

That being so, most animals die IN the burrows so you shouldn't come across loads of dead bunnies, but it is horrid stuff and I would stay the heck away from that area of land for several weeks to be sure that the stuff has broken down.

There is this thread from a couple of years back also - http://www.champdogsforum.co.uk/board/topic/109856.html

Yes thanks theemx that sounds like the stuff that was used. There were no dead bodies so that again suggests the poison was put down into the warrens. Poor bunnies, it seems such a nasty way of dispatching them. I've just phoned my friend to tell her to stay well clear of that field.

I remember this is how theauthorities treated the cellars in the apprtment buildings in Poland when I was a child, it was to deal with not only the rodents but the feral cat population too.

Hi yes sounds similar to Phostoxin.
Basically if done right then the area needs to be well signed and also blocked off if a public area. It should be burried deep in the holes and these need to be filled correctly.

Sadly our dog died from what we still believe is this poisoning, the golf club opposite us had used it and I don't know if i ever updated it but the golf club admitted it was used and not used correctly. There is no antidote and there is no test for it. In the US its been reported of people dying from it when used incorrectly.

This is more potent than cyanide.. I'd stay well away from the area and also avoid allowing your pets eat any rabbits in the area in case they have it in their system...

Farmers round here desemate the warrens by passing about a rabbit with myxi.  I think that's probably a worse way to do it.

As myxo's endemic nowadays I doubt they have to do it deliberately.