Cat poisoning can unfortunately occur for many reasons and there are many things you cat can eat which are poisonous to them whether these are things like bleach or lilies, lead or even something not at all poisonous for humans such as chocolate. In the case of cat poisoning it’s important that you get your can immediate veterinary care to prevent any serious consequences.
Unfortunately the symptoms of cat poisoning can vary and in some cases they might not show themselves until a long time after the poison has been consumed, or might not show at all.
However while cat poisoning symptoms vary the most common are vomiting and diarrhoea. In other cases they might also include:
Lethargy- Blood in the vomit or stool
- Rapid breathing/heart rate
- Weakness apparent dizziness
- Staggering
- Excessive salivating
- Swelling particularly of the tongue
- Rashes
- Tremors
- Seizures
If you do notice any of these symptoms and you suspect that your cat may have consumed something harmful then it is highly important to get your pet to the vet as soon as possible. However if it’s after hours this won’t always be possible, so in this case you should instead call an emergency helpline. They may then send someone out to visit you at your home, or they might instruct you to induce vomiting in your pet. This will cause them to empty the contents of their stomach and this will hopefully expel the poison from their system.
To Get Your Cat to Vomit You Can Try Using
- One table spoon of hydrogen peroxide per 10lbs of body weight. Never give more than two doses.
- Or one tablespoon of a saline solution. If you cannot get your cat to drink this then put it into a syringe and squirt it into the back of your cat’s throat.
However There Are Some Situations Where it Is Not a Good Idea to Induce Vomiting
These include situations where:
- The cat consumed the poison more than two hours ago
- The poison was caustic such as bleach
- The cat has already vomited
- The cat is unconscious
- They have swallowed an acidic or alkali solution
- They have swallowed an object
- Or they are having seizures
In any of these cases, or if you cannot get your cat to be sick then you will simply have to wait for your emergency vet to arrive. It is highly important that you get your pet treated as soon as possible and as soon as you suspect your cat has ingested something harmful – do not wait for the symptoms to occur.