About a year after I purchased my dog, I realized that he was really struggling with his health. He just wasn't his lively self, and I was concerned that he was slowly dying. I decided to take him to a veterinarian to have his condition diagnosed, and we were able to learn a lot about his health. Within a few short months, he was on the road to recovery, and I was really grateful that I had done the work to make things better. This blog is all about understanding pet problems and knowing when to seek professional veterinary help.
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It's important for cat owners to know which substances are toxic to cats; some, like antifreeze or windshield wiper fluid, are fairly obvious. Other sources of poisoning, like grapes, lilies, and excess vitamin D are seldom known. Here are some common causes of poisoning in cats that most owners are not aware of. If you think your cat has ingested these or any other poisons, it's important to contact a veterinarian immediately. Prompt treatment is important in preventing permanent damage due to poison; in many cases, fast action will save your cat's life:
Lilies
Lilies are an incredibly popular flower to put in flower arrangements that you purchase in stores because they last a long time without wilting and losing their vibrant color; they're common at weddings and funerals and inside churches around Easter. Unfortunately, most cat owners do not know that lilies are incredibly toxic to cats. Specifically, the species Hemerocallis and Lilium are the toxic ones, which includes Tiger lilies, Easter lilies, and Japanese lilies among others. In order to be safe, you need to never bring lilies inside your home if you are a cat owner.
Every part of the lily is toxic, including the pollen. This means that if your cat comes into contact with a bouquet containing lilies or the water that was sitting in the vase, your cat can be poisoned. Lilies are incredibly toxic to a cat's kidneys, and very small amounts of flower can cause complete renal failure. Signs of lily poisoning in cats include vomiting, increased thirst, abdominal pain and frequent urination. If you think your cat has ingested even a small part of a lily flower, it's important to contact a veterinarian immediately so treatment to prevent kidney failure can promptly begin.
Over-The-Counter Pain Medication
Cats are very sensitive to common over-the-counter pain medications, such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen. The dosage in pills made for human consumption are much too high for cats to safely metabolize; ingestion of a single pill can lead to kidney failure, liver failure or severe ulcers in your cat's gastrointestinal tract.
It's common for people suffering from fevers to leave over-the-counter pain medication out on their nightstand so they can be taken during the night if needed without having to groggily fumble with a child-proof pill bottle. If you're a cat owner, though, you need to be more careful. Keep your pill bottle in an area where cats cannot reach it, even if it does have a child-safe cap; these caps have been known to open when a cat knocks a bottle of pills onto the floor. If you accidentally drop some pills, be very thorough in your search for the pills that you dropped. You don't want your cat coming along later and eating some off of the ground.
Fish Oil With Added Vitamin D
Some cats love the taste and smell of fish oil, and while fish oil alone won't harm cats, many manufacturers add vitamin D to their formula. Vitamin D in high doses is toxic to cats; if you feed your cat fish oil containing vitamin D regularly or if your cat accidentally eats an entire bottle, your cat is at risk for vitamin D toxicity. Signs of vitamin D toxicity include vomiting, weakness, muscle tremors, and seizures.
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