poisoning in cats

This article was inspired by a recent incident. My Chupacabra is very fond of grass, a special green grass that is sold in pet stores. Then one day I bought him the wrong weed.

Although, it would seem, well, how can some not so grass be sold in a pet store!

In the evening, Chupacabra gnawed grass with pleasure, and strange sounds were heard at night. And in the morning I found some strange puddles on the floor – Chupacabra vomited at night.

But since we are all used to the fact that cats regurgitate their fur from time to time, especially if they are fluffy, I did not pay attention to this. And she went to work. And in the evening I found several more caustic puddles on the floor and a completely exhausted Chupacabra lying on the bed with a cloth. The cat was clearly poisoned. But what could he be poisoned by?

Naturally, the newly acquired weed flew into the trash, and the Chupacabra still had to be treated for several days. No one could have expected such a deal from a simple cat grass.

Symptoms of poisoning in cats

If a person himself can in most cases determine his poisoning by 2 – 3 symptoms, then, as for a cat, everything is not so simple. Much depends on what poisoned the animal. If these are spoiled products, the symptoms will be the same, and if rat poison or household chemicals, then there is a completely different clinical picture.

Symptoms of poisoning in cats and cats are:

• diarrhea and vomiting, often with mucus and blood;
• state of apathy or tremor, trembling;
• shortness of breath, convulsions;
• increased excitability and inappropriate behavior of the animal.

Of these symptoms, the safest for a cat is a single vomiting and intestinal upset, with a stable condition and no other signs.

In all other cases – repeated vomiting and other symptoms – contact the clinic immediately!

Types of shipments in cats

How can a cat be poisoned?

• plants in the house and on the street;
• medicines – a cat can eat your pills left in an accessible place, or get poisoned during treatment with an overdose of the drug;
• food – inappropriate food (chocolate, coffee, onions, garlic, fatty meats, purchased minced meat, citrus fruits, grapes and raisins, apricots, all types of mushrooms, persimmons, nuts, all products with spices, sausages, smoked meats, sweets, canned food for humans), poor-quality or spoiled food;
• chemistry – disinfectants in the house, poorly washed floors or other parts of furniture with left-over chemicals can also cause cat poisoning;
• lead contained in paint, linoleum and batteries – a cat can be poisoned by them if it eats;
• renovation in an apartment is not only a great stress for many cats, but also the cause of poisoning in animals, for example, when you glue wallpaper, paint and other substances can attract your cat to taste.

Plant poisoning in cats

Among indoor plants, there are quite a few species that are poisonous to cats (1):

• lilies – very poisonous for cats, cause acute renal failure, vomiting, lethargy;
• cicadas – cause vomiting, constipation or diarrhea, mainly the liver suffers;
• azalea, laurel, aloe – can cause diarrhea;
• begonia – a burn of mucous membranes;
• asparagus and geranium (the whole plant is poisonous for cats, but the leaves in particular) – indigestion.

Other toxic plants: yew, autumn crocuses, foxglove, May lily of the valley, ivy, boxwood, cyclamen, cyperus, iris, narcissus, snowdrop, calla lilies, hyacinth, tulip, chrysanthemum, belladonna, adonis, aconite, acacia, henbane, geranium, wisteria, St. John’s wort, jasmine, honeysuckle, tansy, hellebore, celandine, onion, tomato, elderberry, dandelion, physalis, ficus, rhubarb and violet.

Different types of plants can provoke different reactions of the cat’s body to the administration, from diarrhea and vomiting to heart failure (2).

Remember that a cat does not always choose only what is good for itself and not all grass and plants that they can eat are harmless to them. At home, it is important to grow flowers that are not dangerous for cats; donated bouquets should also not be available to them.

Cat poisoning in the country

When going outside, animals, including cats, are at risk of being poisoned by substances that can poison pests of rats (3), cockroaches, and chemicals that are sprinkled on roads.

Rat poison. Poisoning with rat poison can lead to various bleeding (a characteristic sign), shortness of breath. The antidote – vitamin K1 (konakion) is quite difficult to find in our pharmacies, and doctors in clinics can start using other hemostatic agents with a subsequent search for konakion.

Fertilizers. Also, during the summer period, fertilizers in the plots are dangerous. Lawn and garden products can be toxic to animals who ingest them when they wash themselves after walking or lying in a newly treated area.

Cat poisoning in the apartment

It is important to keep all medications and chemicals out of the reach of animals. Poisoning can be either mild – vomiting, diarrhea, or fatal poisoning, due, for example, to acute renal failure.

The most common reason for contacting clinics is food poisoning when fed either spoiled prepared foods or natural foods unsuitable for animals.

Compared to poisoning with strong poisons, inappropriate food is less likely to lead to acute life-threatening conditions, but cause chronic illness. The liver, pancreas, and stomach most often react to this. For any adverse signs, even mild ones, it is important to take your animal to the doctor and take the necessary tests, even if symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea could be prevented on their own. You may need a course of additional medications.

Drug poisoning

Paracetamol is contraindicated in cats (4) – it can cause swelling of the muzzle, cyanosis of the mucous membranes (cyanosis), shortness of breath, kidney failure, gastritis and stomach ulcers.

Animals are also contraindicated for such painkillers (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) as Ibuprofen and Indomethacin – they are very toxic and can also cause poisoning Aspirin, Piroxicam, Caroprofen, Naproxen, Phenylbutazone.

Their use with glucocorticoid agents is especially contraindicated. They can cause stomach ulcers, stools and vomiting of blood (“coffee grounds”), abdominal pain, and acute kidney failure. In case of poisoning with these drugs, it is necessary to induce vomiting, in case of poisoning with Aspirin, the stomach can and should be washed out, even if 3 hours have already passed after poisoning, since aspirin can form conglomerates.

First aid for cat poisoning

The main thing is to get rid of the cause of the poisoning, throw out the food or what suspicions fall on so that this does not happen again.

Next, you need to induce vomiting, give activated charcoal or Enterosgel. Charcoal – 1 – 2 tablets, depending on the weight, it is necessary to drink water. It is most convenient to water a cat from a syringe without a needle.

Try to solder the cat with water after vomiting, as there is a very strong loss of fluid.

Be sure to cover or wrap the animal in a blanket, as poisoning causes weakness and a drop in body temperature in the animal, which can lead to unpleasant consequences.

Treatment of poisoning in cats

The first step is to induce vomiting in the animal as soon as possible. To induce vomiting (if you are sure that the animal “ate something wrong” and this poisoning), you can give the cat a solution of hydrogen peroxide: 1 teaspoon of a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide in half with water.

After cleaning the stomach and intestines, it is important to give the cat activated charcoal (Enterosgel), Polysorb with plenty of water, every 3 hours on the first day, then as directed by the doctor. Even with good health, preferably up to 3 days.

In the following days, the frequency of giving Enterosgel is reduced to 2-3 times a day (on the first day, preferably every 3-5 hours), 1 teaspoon of gel per 5 kg of cat.

Be sure to follow the diet for the first days after poisoning.

Medicines for poisoning in cats

As mentioned above – activated carbon, Polysorb, Enterosgel. If the poisoning is specific, then the doctor may prescribe additional medications.

Also at home, you can keep a dropper with saline and vitamin B6 for this case – in case of poisoning, you can put a dropper with saline and vitamin under the withers to prevent dehydration. In addition, vitamin B6 is used as an antidote for mild poisoning.

Folk methods

To treat poisoning in animals with folk methods is at least not serious. Considering that modern man does not treat himself with poisoning with decoctions or charmed water. Moreover, no one guarantees that after folk remedies for the treatment of poisoning in cats, the recipes of which you will find on the Internet, your cat will generally remain alive.

There is a specific, symptomatic, treatment regimen for poisoning in accordance with the cause of the cat’s illness. And absorbents are not that expensive. Therefore, it is easier to stock up on reliable drugs from the pharmacy.

Prevention of poisoning in cats

To prevent poisoning, it is important to remember all substances harmful to cats and prevent their presence in the house, in the summer cottage, monitor the cleanliness of the room and follow all the rules for the use of drugs.

When buying flowers for your home, learn which ones are not harmful to your pet.

It is better if your pet is not on an independent walk on the street, but under supervision so that you can track: does she have an appetite, what kind of stool, urination, is there vomiting and other signs that may make you see a doctor.

With any type of poisoning, time plays the most important role (up to hours, and sometimes minutes) – it is important to wash the stomach in time and take the animal to the doctor for further treatment.

Delaying the start of therapy for a day may lead to an unfavorable prognosis. Do not self-medicate and do not waste time. Doctors eliminate symptoms, including life-threatening ones, administer antidotes, relieve intoxication with intravenous infusions, and wash the stomach and intestines if necessary. And most importantly, the animal is examined to identify complications after poisoning.

Popular questions and answers

We talked about poisoning in cats with veterinarian Marina Mikheenko.

Sources of

1. Sanin A.V., Lipin A.V., Zinchenko E.V. Veterinary reference book of traditional and non-traditional methods of treating cats // M.: Tsentropoligraf, 2007 – 580 p.
2. Rowder J.D. Veterinary toxicology (translated from English. Stepkin M.) // M .: Aquarium-print, 2008 – 416 p.
3. Argunov M.N. (ed.). Veterinary toxicology with the basics of ecology: a textbook for students of higher educational institutions // St. Petersburg: Lan, 2007 – 416 p.
4. Zimenkov V.A., Ibishov D.F. Practical use of antidotes for poisoning of small domestic animals (review) // Proceedings of the Orenburg State Agrarian University, 2019

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