Paraquat is one of the most widely used herbicides in the world. It is quick-acting, non-selective, and kills green plant tissue on contact.

Animals often vomit quite soon after ingesting the paraquat-containing food. Sometimes they will vomit up pieces of the food that the poison was hidden in. Occasionally they’ll vomit multiple times.

Often, animals will seem to feel better after the initial vomiting, but others will continue to vomit. Usually, within a couple of days, the vomiting will start up again, and the animals will become lethargic. They will usually stop eating. If very large quantities are ingested, they may progress more quickly through the symptoms and show signs of respiratory distress or death.