What to Do If Your Cat Has Been Poisoned

The most critical aspect when a cat has been poisoned by a toxic agent is the amount of time that passes before you take action. Exposure to potentially toxic substances is common in households and can occur accidentally in pets. Oftentimes, we do not realize that our pets have been exposed until it is too late. Pets, especially cats are very curious and anything your pet comes in contact with, whether it be food, plants, medicine or household chemicals, can cause problems for them. What you do immediately after suspecting something is wrong can affect how well your pet does.

Recognizing possible poisoning in cats

Symptoms of poisoning in cats do not necessarily manifest immediately; symptoms will depend upon how long your cat was exposed to the toxin and what type of toxin your cat was exposed to. Symptoms of poisoning can occur anywhere from minutes to hours after your cat was exposed to the toxin.

Common symptoms that your cat might experience during the initial stages of poisoning include sudden salivation, vomiting or lack of appetite. Your cat may seem unusually quiet, agitated, or disoriented. Changes in breathing patterns, tremors, or problems walking may also be seen. If your cat has experienced severe exposure to toxins, your cat may have seizures, lose consciousness, or collapse.

Due to the fact that symptoms associated with poisoning can mimic many different illnesses, owners often misjudge the severity of the situation. Therefore, whenever you suspect that your cat has possibly been exposed to a toxin, it should be considered an emergency.

What to do immediately after suspected poisoning

Remove the cat from the source safely

Firstly, the cat has to be removed from the source of poisoning safely. If there is still a toxic substance in the cat's mouth, try to stop the cat from eating the substance if it is safe to do so (without stressing the cat or causing harm). Never push the cat hard enough to bite you or place your fingers deep into its mouth. Both of these could result in the cat biting you and possibly increasing the amount of toxin absorbed into the bloodstream.

Identify the possible toxin.

Next, search the area thoroughly and try to determine what the cat was exposed to. This could be any number of things, including household cleaning supplies, human prescriptions, poisonous houseplants like lily plants, pesticides, spoiled foods, etc. Keep any containers with product labels and/or photographs of products as much as possible. All of this information is very helpful for assessing the cat medically.

Keep the cat calm and still.

Thirdly, keep the cat as relaxed as possible and limit its physical activity. It is not uncommon for stressful situations to increase the rate at which toxins are absorbed into the bloodstream. Put the cat into a quiet room where it can relax until you can get it assessed.

Monitor basic signs

Fourthly, monitor breathing, gum color, and mental status. The observation of the above signs may give an indication of how serious the situation may be.

Common mistakes cat owners make

Inducing vomiting without guidance

One of the most common mistakes made by cat owners who suspect their pet has ingested something toxic is inducing vomiting before they receive proper advice. While it would seem logical to induce vomiting based on what the owner thinks is toxic to eat, some chemicals are capable of creating additional damage if vomited up through the throat. Examples of chemical compounds that fall under this category include: corrosive cleaners and petroleum based products.

Note: Never attempt to induce vomiting in your pet unless you are given specific instructions from either a veterinarian or poison control. It is also important to note that inducing vomiting is generally not recommended for cats.

Waiting for symptoms to appear

Another common error made by many pet owners is delaying action until they see some symptoms in their cat. Toxicity does not always immediately present itself with symptoms. Once symptoms begin appearing, it may be too late to treat the cat effectively, as the toxin may have already damaged major organ systems. Delays also limit treatment options.

Using home remedies

Cat owners also commonly use home remedies that do nothing to address the problem. Milk, salt water, oil, etc., are all ineffective ways to counteract toxicity. Moreover, using these remedies can potentially exacerbate the problem or interfere with medical treatment.

Ignoring mild exposure

Finally, pet owners often overlook small amounts of ingestion. Small ingestion of toxic substances like lily plant leaves or human prescription pain medicine can be detrimental to pets' health several hours after ingestion.

Transporting without information

When transporting a poisoned cat, bring any packaging, labels, photographs or samples of the suspected toxin if it is safe to do so. When veterinarians know the amount of toxin consumed, how quickly it was consumed, and what kind of toxin was consumed, their ability to provide appropriate treatment improves dramatically.

Treatment options

After a emergency veterinarian evaluates and stabilizes a poisoned cat, treatment depends on what type of toxin was ingested. Decontamination techniques may be required for some poisonings, whereas other poisonings necessitate supportive treatments such as IV fluids, activated charcoal (when appropriate), anti-seizure medications, gastrointestinal protectants or specific antidotes when available.

Prompt initiation of treatment increases a cat's likelihood of survival and minimizes permanent damage caused by a toxin. Regardless of the apparent severity of symptoms presented by a poisoned cat, follow-up monitoring may be recommended since certain toxins cause irreversible damage to vital organs (liver/kidneys) over time.

Conclusion

All suspected poisonings in cats should be taken seriously regardless of initial presentation. Effective management requires rapid actions including calm actions, rapid identification of possible toxin(s), avoidance of common household errors that can potentially worsen exposure outcome, and early reporting to reduce potential permanent damage.