Everyone knows that felines are very cautious as well as curious, but like any living being they can make mistakes or be attacked. Due to these carelessness and attacks our friends with curious mustaches can be poisoned.
If you are thinking of adopting or already have a cat, the cat poisoning, symptoms and first aid, is another important topic of the that you should inform yourself as well as possible, since it can cause his death. For this reason, from our site we want to help you achieve it.
Main causes of poisoning in cats
As we indicated before, cats can be very careful but they are extremely curious. This leads them to explore and try new things, which unfortunately don't always work out. Because of this, they often end up intoxicated, poisoned or injured in some way. But, thanks to the knowledge of the potential danger of some substances and some products we can prevent this from happening by keeping them out of the reach of our pets
In case of poisoning or intoxication we cannot do much most of the time, but we can identify the symptoms in time and go to our trusted veterinarian as soon as possible. Even so, there are some things we can try at home while the vet is on his way and as long as we ask him and he does not expressly tell us not to do any of these things that we will explain more ahead.
Some of the most common poisons and toxins with which domestic felines usually come across are:
- Medications for humans (Acetylsalicylic acid and paracetamol)
- Human food (chocolate)
- Insecticides (arsenic)
- Cleaning products (bleach and chlorine)
- Insecticides (some external antiparasitic products that we spray on our pets and their environment)
- Poisonous insects (cantaridae)
- Poisonous plants (cyanide)
These animal and plant products contain chemicals and enzymes toxic to cats that your body cannot metabolize. We'll talk more about these products, their effects, and how to treat them later in the treatment section.
General symptoms of poisoning in domestic cats
The symptoms unfortunately are very varied since they depend on the origin of the poisoning and the degree of intoxication. But below we present the most common symptoms and signs that cats can present in case of poisoning:
- Vomiting and diarrhea sometimes with blood
- Excessive salivation
- Cough and sneeze
- Gastric irritation
- Irritation of an area of the skin that has come into contact with the poison
- Respiratory distress
- Seizures, tremors, and involuntary muscle spasms
- Depression
- Dilated pupils
- Weakness
- Difficulty in limb coordination due to neurological problems (ataxia)
- Blackout
- Frequent urination
First aid and how to proceed in case of poisoning in a cat
In the event that we detect any of the symptoms described above, we must act according to the situation. The most important thing will be to call the vet, stabilize the animal and collect as much information as possible and a sample of the poison so that the vet can help us as best as possible. It will always be better if at least two people help and not just one. Thus, for example, while one calls the vet, the other can try to stabilize the cat, since we must think that when it comes to poisoning, time is money.
The following steps are the most common:
- If our pet is very weak, almost fainted or unconscious, we should take it to an open, ventilated and well-lit area This will allow us to observe Better any other symptom besides offering fresh air to our friend. To lift them we must be careful and do it in such a way that we take the whole body firmly. If we do not have an outdoor area, an area such as the bathroom or kitchen is usually well lit and has water at hand, which we most likely need.
- It is very important to carefully remove the source of poisoning, if we have been able to detect it, so that no more pets or humans are poisoned who live in the house.
- Once we can observe our pet well we must call the vet urgently, it will help us to calm down, center ourselves and will tell us how to proceed immediate. The sooner we call the vet, the more likely our cat will survive. We must identify the source of the poison if possible, as it is one of the first things that the veterinarian will ask us. This will indicate many things and one of the most important is whether or not the cat should be made to vomit. We should not make them vomit just because we think that this way we help extract the poison. We must think that if it is something ingested more than two hours ago that they vomit, it serves no purpose other than to weaken them, if they are unconscious we should never try to make them swallow something to cause vomiting and in the case of corrosive substances such as acid and alkaline substances (rust removers, bleach, etc.) and petroleum products (gasoline, kerosene, lighter fluid, etc.) we will never induce vomiting as they can cause caustic burns and further damage the esophagus, throat and mouth.
- If we have been able to identify the poison we must give the vet as much information as possible such as the name of the product, its active ingredient, potency, the amount that the cat may have ingested more or less and the time that may have passed since it did so, among other indications depending on the type of poison that caused the poisoning.
- We must not give them water, food, milk, oils or any other home remedy until we know for sure what poison they ingested and how to proceed, so it will be better to wait for your veterinarian to tell you while you give him as much information as possible. This is due to the fact that if we do not know what we are facing, any of these foods could produce an effect contrary to what we expect and worsen the condition of our friend.
- If you want to give them something to drink while we wait for the vet and the vet does not contraindicate it, we must give them water or water with s alt with a syringe.
- If we decide that due to the origin of the poison we must make our cat vomit we must follow appropriate guidelines for inducing vomiting to avoid unnecessary damage during the process. These guidelines will be discussed later in this article.
- Even if we manage to make the cat vomit, part of the poison will have been absorbed by the intestine, so we will try to reduce the progress of this absorption of the poisonWe will achieve this with activated carbon, which we will explain how to administer later.
- If the contamination has been caused by a dust or oily substance and If it has adhered to the animal's fur, we should shake it off with an intense brushing if it is dusty and use a hand cleaning product that removes oily substances well. If we still can't remove the toxin from the fur, we will have to cut that piece of fur since it is better to eliminate it that way than to regret that the animal gets worse or becomes contaminated again.
- In case our cat is awake and somewhat less dazed, and the vet does not tell us otherwise, it will be good to give him fresh water to drink since many cat poisons those that domestic cats usually ingest by accident affect the kidneys and liver. Giving them water will reduce the impact on these organs a little. If they don't drink it themselves we can administer it with a syringe slowly in their mouth.
- Before you go to your vet or before your vet gets home, If possible, you should keep a sample of the poison your cat has been poisoned with,along with labels, packaging, etc. that may be part of that poison. This way our vet will have as much information as possible to help our friend.
Treatments to follow for different causes of poisoning in cats
Below we will discuss a series of treatments for the most common causes of poisoning in domestic felines, which we will only perform if our veterinarian tells us has indicated it or if we really have no other option. It is better for these measurements to be carried out by a professional than for us to do it ourselves.
- Arsenic: Arsenic is found in insecticides, pesticides, and rodent poisons. The most common symptoms in this case are acute and sometimes bloody diarrhea, depression, weak pulse, general weakness and cardiovascular collapse. These symptoms occur due to the acute inflammation caused by arsenic in various internal organs such as the liver and kidneys. In this case, if the poison has been ingested less than two hours ago by our cat, the emergency treatment is to induce vomiting, followed by oral administration of activated charcoal and after one or two hours administer gastric protectors such as pectin. or kaolin.
- Shampoo, soap or detergent: In these cases the symptoms are milder and easier to treat. Many of these products may contain caustic soda and other corrosive substances, so we will never induce vomiting. The symptoms that are usually displayed are dizziness, vomiting and diarrhea. If it is a small amount ingested and the veterinarian does not tell us otherwise, a good way to help our cat's body treat this poisoning is to give it milk or water.
- Medicines for humans: This is a great danger that is always close without us realizing it, since we tend to think that drugs we have well guarded or that a dog or a cat is not going to swallow or lick a pill. In addition, the problem is not only this trust that we have, but sometimes due to ignorance we administer one of these medications to lower the fever or calm other symptoms. It is a big mistake, since most of these medicines are not made to be tolerated by dogs or cats and even if we administer the minimum dose or the one indicated for children, we will be poisoning our companions. Therefore, never medicate your pet without consulting a veterinarian. In addition, we must know that most of these medications are eliminated by the liver after being metabolized, but cats cannot adequately metabolize many medications or vitamins. Below we expose the most common medications for us but that seriously damage the he alth of our felines and can even cause death:
- Acetyl salicylic acid (Aspirin): As we well know, it is the most common analgesic and antipyretic for us. But in cats it produces a very negative effect through vomiting (sometimes with blood), hyperthermia, rapid breathing, depression and even death.
- Paracetamol (Gelocatil): It is an anti-inflammatory and antipyretic widely used by humans as it is very effective for us. But then again, it is a deadly weapon for our cats. It damages their liver, darkens their gums, causes salivation, rapid breathing, depression, dark urine, and can lead to death.
- Vitamin A: We usually have vitamin complexes at home for the times when we want to avoid colds and other common illnesses, among other things. These vitamin complexes include Vitamin A. We also find this vitamin in some food supplements and in some foods, such as raw liver, which we sometimes like to give to our pets. Excess of this vitamin produces drowsiness in domestic cats, anorexia, stiffness of the neck and joints, constipation, weight loss, as well as somewhat strange positions such as sitting on the hind legs but raising the front legs or lying down but leaving all the weight on limbs without relaxing.
- Vitamin D:This vitamin is found in vitamin complexes, but also in rodenticides and in some foods. Hypervitaminosis D produces anorexia, depression, vomiting, diarrhea, polydipsia (extreme thirst) and polyuria (very frequent and abundant urination). This is due to kidney damage and bleeding in the digestive and respiratory systems.
- Coal Pitch: Coal pitch includes various products such as cresols, creosote, phenols, and pitch. They are found in household disinfectants and other products. Poisoning in cats by these products usually occurs more commonly by absorption through their skin, although ingestion of these products also occurs. This poisoning causes stimulation of the nervous system, weakening of the heart and damage to the liver, the most visual symptoms being weakness, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes due to increased bilirubin), loss of coordination, excessive rest while lying down and even in a coma and, depending on the level of poisoning, death. There is no specific treatment. But if it has been ingested recently, saline and charcoal solutions can be administered, followed by egg whites to soften the corrosive effects of the poison.
- Cyanide: It is found in plants, rodent poisons and fertilizers among others. In the case of felines, cyanide poisoning occurs more frequently by ingesting plants that contain cyanide compounds, such as rushes, apple leaves, corn, flax, sorghum, and eucalyptus. The symptoms usually appear after ten or fifteen minutes after ingestion and we can observe an increase in excitability that quickly turns into respiratory difficulties, which can end in suffocation. The treatment to be followed by a veterinarian is the immediate administration of sodium nitrite.
- Ethylene glycol: It is used as antifreeze in the cooling circuits of internal combustion engines and is commonly known as car antifreeze. The taste of this compound is sweet, which attracts more than one animal and leads them to consume it. But, felines hardly distinguish the sweet taste, so this case in cats does not occur very frequently and the times it occurs it is not usually ingested for its taste. The symptoms are quite fast after ingestion and can give us the feeling that our cat is drunk. The symptoms are vomiting, neurological signs, stupor, loss of balance and ataxia (difficulty with coordination due to neurological problems). What should be done in this case is to induce vomiting and give activated charcoal followed by sodium sulfate within one to two hours after the poison has been ingested.
- Fluoride: Fluoride is found in rat poisons, human oral cleaning products (toothpaste and mouthwashes).) and environmental acaricides. Because fluoride is toxic to dogs and cats, we should never use our toothpaste to wash their mouths. In fact, special toothpastes are sold for them that also do not contain fluoride. The symptoms are gastroenteritis, nervous signals, increased heart rate and, depending on the level of poisoning, death. In case of severe poisoning, the animal should be immediately given calcium gluconate intravenously or magnesium hydroxide or milk orally so that these substances bind with the fluoride ions.
- Chocolate: Chocolate contains theobromine which is a chemical belonging to the methylxanthines. In humans it does not cause any harm since we have enzymes that can metabolize theobromine and convert it into other safer elements. On the other hand, cats do not have these enzymes, so with a small amount of chocolate they can already be intoxicated. Therefore, it is a human food that we can love and that is why many times we give our pets a few pieces of chocolate as a reward and this is a huge mistake. The symptoms of chocolate poisoning usually occur between six and twelve hours after eating it. The main symptoms and signs are insatiable thirst, vomiting, salivation, diarrhoea, restlessness and a swollen belly. After a while the symptoms progress and there is hyperactivity, tremors, frequent urination, tachycardia, bradycardia, respiratory distress, heart and respiratory failure. The first aid treatment in this case is, as soon as we become aware of the ingestion, induce vomiting in our cat and give activated charcoal orally. If the ingestion of chocolate has already been two hours or more, vomiting will not be very useful since the process of stomach digestion will have already been done. Therefore, we must take the intoxicated cat directly to the veterinarian so that the symptoms can be treated immediately with the appropriate material.
- Raisins and grapes: This case of poisoning is not very common, but it still happens. It occurs more in dogs than in cats. It is known that in dogs the toxic dose is 32g of raisins per kg of body weight and 11 to 30mg per kg of body weight in the case of grapes. Knowing this estimate, we know that for a cat the toxic doses will always be smaller amounts. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, extreme thirst, dehydration, inability to produce urine, and eventually kidney failure, which can lead to death. As first aid we will induce vomiting in our pet and then we will take it to the veterinarian where, in addition to other necessary things, urination will be induced through intravenous fluid therapy.
- Alcohol: In the case of poisoning in animals, the most common alcohols are ethanol (alcoholic beverages, disinfectant alcohol, the mass in fermentation and elixirs), methanol (cleaning products like windshield wipers), and isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol and alcohol-based pet flea sprays). Isopropyl alcohol is twice as toxic as ethanol. The toxic dose is between 4 and 8 ml per kg. This type of toxin is not only absorbed through its ingestion but, in fact, it is more common in cats, it is also absorbed through the skin. Cats are especially sensitive to these alcohols, so we should avoid spraying them with flea sprays that are not specified for cats and that contain alcohol. The symptoms occur between the first half hour and one hour of intoxication. Vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of coordination, disorientation, tremors, difficulty breathing and in the worst cases, due to this respiratory insufficiency, the death of the animal is observed. As first aid we will provide ventilation, that is to say that we will move the animal to an outside place without direct sunlight, and if the ingestion of alcohol has recently occurred, vomiting will be induced. We will not administer activated carbon since in this case it will not have any effect. Then we will go to the vet to check it and act as necessary.
- Chlorine and bleach: Household cleaning products and those used for swimming pools contain bleach and therefore contain chlorine. Sometimes we will see that our pets like to chew on the bottles of these products, drink the water from the scrubbing bucket that contains these mixed products, drink the water from the recently treated pools and bathe in them. The symptoms that occur are vomiting, dizziness, salivation, anorexia, diarrhea and depression. As first aid, we will administer milk or milk with water to our cat with a syringe in the mouth slowly, letting it swallow by itself. This will make the milk bind to the chlorine, preventing further damage to our pet. We should never induce vomiting, because he is already vomiting and causing more vomiting will only make him weaker and further damage the digestive tract since bleach, chlorine and stomach acids are corrosive. In addition, we must know that activated charcoal should not be administered since it will not have any effect. If the contamination is not ingested but is caused by the skin, we should bathe our cat with a mild cat shampoo immediately and rinse it with plenty of water so that there are no remains. Finally we will go to the vet for a review.
- Insecticides: Insecticides include products that contain carbamates, chlorinated hydrocarbon compounds, permethrins or pyrethroids, and organophosphates, all of which are toxic to our pets. Signs of poisoning in this case are frequent urination, excessive salivation, shortness of breath, colic, ataxia, and convulsions. In this case, the first aid will be the administration of activated charcoal followed by the induction of vomiting with 3% hydrogen peroxide. In any case, it is best to call the vet
- Induction of vomiting: We must obtain a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution and a child's syringe to administer the solution orally. We should never use solutions that have higher concentrations of hydrogen peroxide like some hair products, because we will harm our pet more instead of helping it. To prepare this solution and administer it properly, you should know that the dose of 3% hydrogen peroxide is 5 ml (1 teaspoon) for every 2.25 kg of body weight and is administered orally. For an average 4.5 kg cat about 10 ml (2 teaspoons) is needed. Repeat every 10 minutes for a maximum of 3 doses. If we can administer this oral solution immediately after poisoning, we will use 2 to 4 ml per kg of body weight of this 3% hydrogen peroxide solution.
- Effective way for the cat to swallow the oral solution: It involves inserting the syringe between the cat's teeth and cheek to make it harder for you to expel the liquid and easier to swallow. In addition, we must never add all the preparation at once, but we must add 1ml slowly, wait for it to swallow and add the next ml.
- Activated Charcoal: The normal dose is 1 g of dry powder per pound of body weight of the cat. An average cat requires about 10 g. We must dissolve the activated carbon powder in the smallest volume of water possible to form a kind of thick paste and use the syringe to administer it orally. We will repeat this dose every 2 to 3 hours for a total of 4 doses. In case of severe poisoning, the dose is 2 to 8 g per kilo of body weight once every 6 to 8 hours for 3 to 5 days. This dose can be mixed with water and given by mouth with a syringe or through a stomach tube. Activated carbon is sold in liquid format already diluted in water, in powder or in tablets that we can dilute at home.
- Pectin or kaolin: Must be administered by the veterinarian. The indicated dose is 1 to 2 g per kg of body weight every 6 hours for 5 or 7 days.
- Milk or mixture of milk with water: We can give them plain milk or a 50% dilution with water when we want it to be bind to certain poisons, for example fluorine, and thus the passage through the body is less harmful. What is appropriate is a dose of 10 to 15 ml per kilo of body weight or as much as the animal can consume.
- Sodium nitrite: To be administered by the veterinarian. 10 g should be administered in 100 ml of distilled water or isotonic saline solution with a dose of 20 mg per kg of body weight of the animal affected by cyanide.
