E-mail Address

First Name

Then

Don't worry -- your e-mail address is totally secure.
I promise to use it only to send you Mews from The Cat Doctor.

Home
The Cat Doctor's Blog
FREE NEWSLETTER
ASK A CAT QUESTION
CAT QUESTIONS
About Dr. Neely
TESTIMONIALS
CAT ART
CAT ART 2
LIMITED EDITION PRINTS
VINTAGE CAT ART
CAT PHOTOS
CAT PICTURES
CAT POSTERS
FUNNY CAT VIDEOS
DON ROTH, Cat Artist
CATS R ME Gift Shop
Cat Product Reviews
CAT INSURANCE
Cats In The News
Cat Case Presentations
CAT SCRATCH FEVER
Cat Behavior
CAT FIGHT
HOUSE CATS
Cat Illnesses
Cat Elimination Problems
Cat Urinary Health
LITTER BOX PROBLEMS
LITTER TRAINING
CAT SOUNDS
CAT VOMITING
CAT DIARRHEA
Cat "Colds"
Cat Health Eyes
Cat Skin Diseases
Cat Diabetes
Cat Poisoning
Cat Zoonotic Diseases
Declaw/Cat Surgeries
Cat Vaccines
Cat Nutrition
Pregnancy of Cats
DIRECTORY OF PAGES
Bryn Mawr Cat Hospital

XML RSS
Add to My Yahoo!
Add to My MSN
Add to Google

Cat Poisoning
Cat Lily Toxicity


Cat Poisoning is probably the furthest thing from our minds each Spring as we witness the promise of a fresh start, a renewal, a time of celebration in many ways.    Flowers starting to bloom and shrubs, trees, and grass bursting with new green growth remind us of a new beginning. 

Many people will celebrate during this time.  For Christians, Easter calls for rejoicing.  For everyone, this time of new growth brings cause for celebration.  Many of us enjoy this time of year  by adorning our homes with flowers and plants. 

Take caution, however, if you are a cat owner.  Some of the most common plants are leading causes of cat poisoning. 
 

One of the toxic plants of all is the Easter lily.   Other species such as the Tiger lily, rubrum lily, Japanese show lily, Asiatic hybrid lily, some species of day lilies, and possibly other species of the family Liliaceae are also highly toxic to cats.  Ingestion of these plants leads to kidney damage.    All parts of the plant are  considered toxic, and it takes less than one leaf to cause toxic reactions in your cat.    
 

Within the first two to six hours of lily ingestion,  a cat may begin to vomit, experience loss of appetite and appear depressed.  The first signs to watch for are these intestinal signs.  Unfortunately, these signs may go away, causing you to think everything is fine, only to return within twelve to eighteen hours as kidney damage begins.  Treatment consists of inducing vomiting to remove plant material as soon as possible, and administration of activated charcoal and of intravenous fluids.  Obviously, if you suspect your cat has ingested part of a lily plant, regardless of how small the amount, rushing to your vet is absolutely essential.   Postponing treatment for more than eighteen hours can result in kidney failure, and death. Cat Poisoning requires prompt and aggressive veterinary care.  With prompt treatment, full recovery is possible.  If treatment is delayed, permanent kidney damage will occur to varying degrees.  Cats that are not diagnosed and/or treated at all will usually die within three to seven days.  

DON'T let this happen to your cat!  The best bet is to keep ALL plants away from cats.  Lily toxicity is only one of many plant toxicities that occur in cats.  The best plan is PREVENTION. 

Celebrating All Seasons in Safe Ways,
Dr. Neely

Return from Cat Poisoning to my Home page

What Other Cat Owners Have Asked

Click Below To See Questions From Other Cat Lovers

Cats and Scorpions  QUESTION

Do cats get sick from scorpion bites?


ANSWER

Yes, they can. Due to their small body weight, a small amount of venom can do more ...

My Cat Accidentally Ate My Dog's Rimadyl  QUESTION:

I think my cat accidentally ate my dogs 100 mg Rimadyl. What should I do? The cat is acting normal.


Hi, Diana,

Go straight to ...



footer for cat poisoning page