Symptoms and Causes of Cat Poisoning

1 Overview

There is a saying that cats are less prone to poisoning than dogs, but that is not true. When you combine their curious nature with their grooming habits, they are also very easily poisoned. In fact, poisons and toxic substances are even more harmful to felines because of their smaller size and weaker digestive system for breaking down certain substances.

I. Symptoms of Cat Poisoning

1. Lethargy, depression, weakness, or dullness

2. Anorexia or loss of appetite

3. Vomiting

4. Diarrhea

5. Difficulty breathing

6. Tremors or convulsions

II. Common Causes of Cat Poisoning

Household poisons a cat is most likely to encounter:

Cats are known for their lively and curious nature, but this often leads them to eat harmful things. Unfortunately, ordinary households contain many potentially dangerous substances, such as carpet cleaners, antifreeze, and insecticides.

Toxic substances cats often ingest:

1. Plants: Cats are especially famous for their interest in plants, so they often suffer the consequences. For example, eating Easter lilies can cause cats to vomit, have diarrhea, develop kidney failure, and die.

2. Household products and cleaners: These products vary greatly in chemical composition and toxicity. They can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or chemical burns, and often lead to organ damage.

3. Prescription drugs: Pills may fall, or even if the medicine container is tightly closed, your cat may successfully get the pills out of the packaging. In short, all medications should be kept out of the cat’s reach.

4. Over-the-counter (OTC) medications: It is important to remember that some OTC drugs do not work on cats the way they do on humans. For example, aspirin and ibuprofen can be very dangerous for cats.

5. Rodenticide poisoning

(1) Antu-class rodenticide poisoning.

This is a strong rodenticide; after a cat accidentally eats it, pulmonary capillary permeability increases, and large amounts of plasma enter the lung tissue causing pulmonary edema. Minutes to hours after eating, the cat will vomit, foam at the mouth, then have diarrhea, cough, difficulty breathing, confusion, and visible mucosal cyanosis. A few cats die within 2-4 hours of ingestion.

(2) Organic fluoride rodenticide poisoning

This drug is highly toxic; the cat that eats it becomes restless, with hyperactive gastrointestinal function causing vomiting and diarrhea, runs around, barks, and has whole-body paroxysmal convulsions.

6. Pesticide poisoning

(1) Organophosphorus poisoning

In agriculture, organophosphorus is widely used as an insecticide, such as trichlorfon and dichlorvos. After a cat accidentally eats it, it will drool, tear, vomit, diarrhea, have abdominal pain, difficulty breathing, conjunctival cyanosis, muscle spasms, constricted pupils, coma, and paralysis. Most die from respiratory failure.

(2) Chlorinated hydrocarbon poisoning

This insecticide causes the cat to become extremely excited, restless, highly depressed, with muscle tremors and contractions, drooling, refusal to eat, and diarrhea.

Your cat can be exposed to hundreds of substances at home, some of which are highly toxic. If you think your cat may have been exposed to a toxin, first check the product label and understand its toxicity. Generally, the information on the label about children also applies to cats, and some manufacturers even write pet-related toxicity information on the label.

For most poisoning incidents, there is little you can do at home. If you suspect your cat is poisoned, consult your veterinarian or animal emergency service promptly. For some ingested poisons, your veterinarian may recommend inducing vomiting, but this is almost impossible for house cats. So generally you can only go to the vet; but note, when you go to the vet, remember to bring the product packaging.

If the process of the cat ingesting the toxin was not witnessed, diagnosing a disease caused by poisoning can be difficult. Usually, diagnosis is made based on blood and urine tests or physical examination. Some poisons have specific antidotes, but general treatment for poisoning includes reducing further absorption, delaying toxin absorption, and accelerating toxin metabolism.