With the arrival of Christmas it is common to find the poinsettia, also called poinsettia, poinsettia or Christmas plant, in homes. However, although it is a tradition and a beautiful Christmas decoration, if there are cats in the house it can be a danger because the whole plant is toxic for these little cats. Said toxicity can appear by direct contact through the eyes or skin of the feline or by ingestion, where it will cause irritation in its digestive system, giving rise to a series of clinical signs, in some serious cases, that will put he alth at stake. of the cat.
Continue reading this informative article from our site about poinsettia poisoning in cats, its symptoms and what to do.
What is the poinsettia?
There are numerous toxic plants for our cats (lilies, azalea, daffodils, ivy, kalanchoe, diaphembaquia, oleander, hyacinth…), one of them being the poinsettia. This very Christmas plant comes from Mexico, belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family and its scientific name is Euphorbia pulcherrima. In its place of origin it can reach 3 meters in height, but in our houses it is a perennial plant that does not usually reach large dimensions.
Its popularity has been increasing in recent years and is now almost essential in many homes at Christmas due to its red and green tones so characteristic of that time of year. The poinsettia can also be seen in other colors such as pink, white, ivory, or salmon. Many cats are interested in this plant and begin to nibble its leaves, causing problems due to the toxic and irritating substances they contain.
Why is poinsettia toxic to cats?
We already know that the poinsettia is poisonous to cats, but why? The Christmas flower is toxic to cats due to some irritating toxins which are called diterpenic estersderivatives of phorbol, flavonoids and euforbonas, which are found in the latex or milky liquid inside. When this milky substance reaches the feline's mouth, it begins to irritate the mucous membranes through which it passes, that is: oral cavity, pharynx and esophagus, continuing through the rest of the digestive tract.
Toxicity can be by direct contact of this latex with the cat's eyes or skin or by ingestion or bites, especially of the colored areas of the plant, causing damage to the feline's digestive organs. This poisoning can occur in dogs, but is much less frequent.
Symptoms of poinsettia poisoning in cats
If the cat's eyes come into contact with the toxic substances of the poinsettia, they can cause problems such as keratitis, conjunctivitis, eye discharge and sometimes also corneal opacity and ulcers. If these irritating substances reach the skin, they can cause redness with rashes or blisters and itching on the affected area.
If the contagion is by bite or ingestion of parts of the plant, the signs will mostly be digestive, such as:
- Lethargy
- Irritation of the mucous membranes of the mouth and digestive tract
- Glossitis and pharyngitis (inflammation of the glottis and pharynx)
- Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)
- Salivation
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
In cases of intense ingestion, intoxication can produce nervous signs with tremors, delusions and even eat.
Each cat can evolve with different gravity. Thus, while there are some that present mild signs, in others they can be very intense. In fact, some cases have been described in which the heart rate and temperature increased and respiratory distress developed, as well as renal signs that led to the death of the feline. Young kittens are usually the most susceptible. In most adult cats, the evolution is usually favorable in a few days, especially with the appropriate treatment.
What to do if my cat eats the poinsettia?
When a cat has been in external contact or has eaten any part of the poinsettia, it should be urgently go to a veterinary center, where they will apply an early treatment to alleviate the symptoms that it presents, which, in turn, will depend on how the contact with the irritating substance of the plant has been. Thus, the treatment of Poinsettia poisoning in cats is summarized in the following:
Treatment of external poisoning
As we have mentioned, even if the cat does not ingest the plant, contact of the irritating milky substance with the skin or eyes may occur and, depending on the case, the treatment to be applied will be:
- When the toxicity has been cutaneous the animal should be washed and if it shows dermatitis, corticosteroids or antihistamines will be used for a week, with antibiotics.
- If the contact has been ocular the eye should be washed with somewhat lukewarm saline solution and then apply specific eye drops with drugs such as atropine (due to its dilating and sedative effect), antibiotics to prevent secondary infections and corticosteroids such as dexamethasone when there are no ulcers and the inflammation is significant.
Treatment of poisoning by ingestion
When the toxicity comes from ingesting the plant, as there are no specific antidotes against the poinsettia toxins, the following measures must be used:
- Use of activated carbon, due to its adsorbent capacity for toxins that have entered the body orally.
- Force diuresis (urine production) using mannitol or hypertonic glucose.
- If the ingestion of the plant has been less than two hours ago, causing vomiting can be effective, but as long as the cat is conscious, although it is normal for the cat to start vomiting on its own same after ingestion of the poinsettia, so it is more effective to perform a gastric lavage to eliminate toxins from the stomach.
Symptomatic treatment
The treatment aimed at alleviating the symptoms presented by the cat intoxicated by poinsettia consists of:
- Oral cavity lavage with sodium gluconate
- Fluid therapy with intravenous fluids (isotonic saline or Ringer's lactate) to rehydrate him
- Anti-inflammatories
- Stomach pads
- Antiemetics
- Digestive motility inhibitors
- Drugs with action on the nervous system if they are necessary in cases of large ingestions with nervous signs
It is very important to remember that, in the presence of any of the symptoms of Christmas flower poisoning in cats, it is essential to go to the veterinarian so that this professional can establish the best treatment.
