Our little cats can be affected by various types of poisoning, which can be avoided if we know the risks that certain substances have on the feline species or by preventing our cats from ingesting something they shouldn't. Through this article on our site you will be able to learn about 5 poisonings in cats, their symptoms and their treatment, highlighting poisoning by deworming pipettes in dogs in the case of poisoning by permethrins, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) poisoning common in people, rodenticide poisoning, ingestion of contaminated garbage or food, and plant poisoning. Therefore, if you want to know more about the most common poisonings in cats, don't miss this article!
Permethrin poisoning
Pyrethrins are a group of external antiparasitics that include permethrins, some insecticides widely used in canine species in the form of pipettes, sprays or shampoos alone or in combination with other active ingredients and also used in the home, gardens and on farms.
These are compounds that have a high topical absorption and that present very little toxicity in mammals, with the exception of cats, to which this compound is extremely toxic.
Permethrin is toxic due to the deficiency in metabolization of drugs that the feline species presents, since they are metabolized in the microsomal system of the liver of our cats followed by oxidation and conjugation with glucuronic acid, processes which are also made in the liver.
The problem is that cats have a deficiency in glucuronidase transferase that conjugates the compound with glucuronic acid, so the detoxification of these compounds is delayed, increasing the toxic effects.
Poisoning in cats occurs mainly when a cat lives with a dog that has been dewormed with this product and by contact with the ends up poisoning by ingestion or through the skin or for convenience and ignorance of the caregivers, they take advantage of the pipette of dogs for cats. The clinical signs of permethrin poisoning in cats are:
- Tremors.
- Incoordination.
- Seizures.
- Fasciculations.
- Pupillary dilation.
- Meows.
- Dyspnoea.
- Hyperthermia or hypothermia.
- Itchy.
- Diarrhea.
- Vomiting.
Treatment of permethrin poisoning in cats
The treatment of permethrin poisoning in cats will differ depending on the route of poisoning. Therefore:
- If poisoning occurred after oral ingestion of permethrin: Emetics such as xylazine may be used to induce vomiting or Perform a gastric lavage as well as use activated carbon during the first 4 hours, which will serve as an adsorbent for part of the toxic to prevent it from passing into the blood in its entirety.
- If the poisoning has been cutaneous: the cat should be given a bath with a mild detergent for cats or with a keratolytic shampoo for remove product and avoid its absorption.
It is also important to treat the symptoms of poisoning in cats with fluid therapy, oxygen administration, diuretics to facilitate elimination of the product, muscle relaxants if tremors, anticonvulsants if there are convulsions and if it presents many nervous symptoms or convulsions, the cat would be anesthetized by inhalation with isoflurane.
We tell you more about permethrin poisoning in cats: symptoms and what to do, here.
Rodenticide poisoning
Rodenticides consist primarily of anticoagulant compounds that act as vitamin K antagonists, such as bromadiolone, a common rodenticide and characterized by the appetite that rodents have for it. It is an effective compound against rats and mice resistant to warfarin and coumatetralyl and is not species specific, so it poisons all animals equally.
It is a species-specific poison, so not only these animals are susceptible to poisoning. Cats can be poisoned if they directly ingest poisoned baits or indirectly, most often, by ingesting rats or mice that have been poisoned with rodenticides.
The symptoms of poisoning in cats derive from the anticoagulant effect, so they predominate:
- Bleeding in the form of vomiting.
- Gastrointestinal and nosebleeds.
- Ocular, encephalic and pulmonary haemorrhages.
This leads to weakness in cats, vision problems, respiratory problems, anemia, weak heartbeat, altered heart rate.
Treatment of rat poisoning in cats
The treatment will depend on the situation:
- If the poisoning has passed less than 3 hours ago: it will consist of the use of emetics, gastric lavage and activated charcoal.
- If there is respiratory difficulty or severe anemia: we will use oxygen.
- If our cat suffers convulsions: with diazepam, thoracocentesis.
- If there is Hemothorax, fluid therapy, blood or plasma transfusion: B complex, specifically vitamin B12 and rest and admission for cats.
- If the intoxication has been by bromadiolone: vitamin K can be used at doses of 2, 5-5 mg/kg for 3 -4 weeks subcutaneously.
NSAID poisoning
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs are very good at controlling pain, inflammation and fever but not all of them can be used in cats. Specifically, there are two that are highly toxic: ibuprofen and paracetamol These drugs control inflammation by inhibiting the release of prostaglandins and leukotrienes released by COX enzymes or cyclooxygenases and LOX or lipoxygenases, respectively.
This inhibition of compounds that are involved in fever, pain, protection of the gastrointestinal mucosa, platelet function and flow Renal blood has the advantages of reducing fever and inflammation but they prevent the protection of the gastrointestinal mucosa and that of the kidney, as well as the correct function of platelets.
The problem with these drugs in cats is that they are metabolized by conjugation with hepatic glucuronic acid mediated by an enzyme that cats are deficient in, hepatic glucuronyl transferase.
For this reason, drugs remain in the cat's body for a longer time, increasing their toxicity. A the higher the dose, the more toxic, not needing too much to become lethal.
Among the symptoms of this poisoning we can highlight the:
- Nausea.
- Vomiting.
- Diarrhea.
- Abdominal pain.
- Ulcers and gastrointestinal bleeding.
- Kidney and liver damage.
- Seizures.
- Ataxia.
- Eat.
Treatment of NSAID poisoning in cats
If you accidentally or unknowingly gave your cat paracetamol or ibuprofen you should go to the vet urgently so that if it has happened less than two hours induce vomiting with emetics such as xylazine or hydrogen peroxide and gastric lavage with activated charcoal to adsorb part of the drug.
N-Acetylcysteine is also commonly used to support glutathione synthesis which will facilitate inactivation of unconjugated drug and support the liver, dosage is 70 mg/kg orally four times a day. In animals with hypoxia and respiratory distress, apply oxygen therapy. Protect the gastrointestinal mucosa with sucralfate and use fluid therapy with Ringer's Lactate.
Garbage poisoning
Although less frequently than dogs, our cats can also ingest contaminated or spoiled food from the garbage and get poisoned by endotoxins released by bacteriacontained in said foods.
These endotoxins produce alterations in intestinal permeability, motility and nervous signs, and may also produce disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), syndrome of acute respiratory distress and death, depending on the severity of the condition.
Clinical signs may be:
- Diarrhea.
- Vomiting.
- Abdominal pain.
- Dyspnoea.
- Twitching.
- Incoordination.
- Hypermetry.
- Seizures.
- Endotoxic shock and death.
Treatment of litter ingestion in cats
To treat this poisoning, nervous symptoms such as seizures must be controlled with anticonvulsantssuch as diazepam, treat endotoxic shock, perform gastric lavage with activated charcoal every 2-4 hours, treat digestive symptoms and use antibiotics.
Poisoning by toxic plants
Our little felines may be tempted to eat or nibble on some plants that we find in homes or outside if they go outside. Depending on the plant that they ingest, they may produce one type of symptom or another, but symptoms such as:
- Diarrhea.
- Vomiting.
- Abdominal pain and discomfort.
Common toxic plants include lilies, oleanders, diphenbachia, azalea, hydrangea, ivy, croton, daffodil, aloe vera, and poinsettia. Broadly speaking we can divide them into:
- Plants with toxic latex: that causes irritation to the mucous membranes of the organs and skin through which it passes or maintains contact as they can contain croton and poinsettia.
- Plants with irritating and hemolytic saponins of hydrangeas and ivy: which produce digestive symptoms and respiratory distress, increased heart rate, bluish mucous membranes and even death from respiratory arrest.
Other plants are toxic because they contain cardiac glycosides such as those of the oleander causing arrhythmias, increased or decreased heart rate, tremors, gait disturbances, low blood sugar, pupil dilation and digestive symptoms.
Finally, there are other plants with calcium oxalate crystals that are insoluble and highly irritating, causing symptoms such as blisters, vesicles, redness and itching as well as digestive and nervous signs.
Treatment of plant poisoning in cats
The first thing you should do if your cat has ingested a toxic plant is go to a veterinary center urgently and say which plant has ingested. Once there, if less than two or three hours have passed, they will induce vomiting and/or perform gastric lavage to try to eliminate as much of the poison as possible. They should also treat the symptoms that this specific plant has produced and stabilize the cat with fluid therapy and oxygen therapy.
Don't hesitate to consult the Toxic plants for cats in the following article on our site.
