What You Can Do About Cat Poisoning

If there is any good news about cat poisonings, it is that among reported poisoning cases, almost 90% of the incidents are unintentional and just a small percentage are from adverse reactions to food, drugs, and other chemicals. About 20% are from insecticides, and another 15% are from cleaning products. Regarding drug poisonings, about 20% are from antibiotics, antivirals and analgesics (acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, and prescription painkillers). Another 10% are poisoned by topical preparations. Only about 1-2% of all pets poisoned die as a result, whether they are cats or dogs, although overall, more dogs are poisoned than cats, maybe because cats tend to be pickier about what they put in their mouths (statistics from the book Veterinary and Human Toxicology).

Dangerous foods for your cat include chocolate, coffee, tea, and medications that contain the stimulants caffeine, theobromine and theophylline, which can cause vomiting, diarrhea, increased heart rate, heart arrhythmias, rapid breathing, muscle tremors, seizures, hyperactivity, and even coma and death.

Other food items to beware of are onions and onion powder, which can be found in the baby food that is sometimes given to cats with little appetite. Ingestion of plants from the nightshade family (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant) can lead to arthritis, inflammation, parasite infestation, respiratory problems, swelling, and excess mucus. Raw salmon, either fresh water or from the Pacific, may contain parasites that cause rickettsial disease, treatable with antibiotics if caught in time. Alcohol, yeast dough, macadamia nuts, hops, cigarettes, cigars, snuff, chewing tobacco, raw egg whites, salt and moldy or spoiled foods should also be avoided.

What can you do if it's too late and Fifi has already swallowed a toxic food? The best approach is to induce vomiting with syrup of ipecac (1 tsp/10 lbs body weight), hydrogen peroxide 3% and water (1-3 tsp every 10 minutes times three), mustard and water, or salt (1/2-1 tsp at back of tongue). Tilt the cat's head back at a 45-degree angle and pour liquid into the side of her mouth with a spoon or eyedropper. Pull out to form a pouch and jiggle, or tap the nose to encourage swallowing. Administer activated charcoal if 2 hours or more have passed since the event, 1 tsp/2 lbs of body weight, followed by a pint of water. This may require a stomach tube and is best done with a veterinarian's assistance. NEVER administer charcoal if the cat appears depressed, comatose, is unable to swallow or is having seizures. The charcoal treatment should be followed in a half hour with Glauber's salt (1 tsp/10 lbs body weight) or Milk of Magnesia (1 tsp/5 lbs body weight). Another approach is to give the cat milk, egg whites or vegetable oil followed by a warm water enema. Keep your pet quiet and warm. If there are any signs of shock such as pale gums, weak, rapid pulse, rapid breathing, cold skin, or nervous system symptoms, take him to a veterinarian immediately, along with a sample of vomit and the poison for analysis.

Toxic household products fall into two general categories: 1) petroleum products, acids and alkalis; and 2) everything else, including plants. The "everything else" category produces symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, delirium, collapse, coma, and convulsions, and should be treated as if the cat had swallowed a toxic food (treatment above).

The first category causes mouth, throat and stomach burns as well as bloody vomit, breathing difficulties, diarrhea, shock, depression, coma, convulsions, coughing, and mouth redness. The best approach for an acid poisoning is to rinse out the mouth and give an antacid (baking soda paste, Milk of Magnesia, Pepto-Bismol). If it's an alkali poisoning, vinegar or lemon juice are good choices. In these cases, do not induce vomiting because you might rupture the stomach or burn the esophagus.

A petroleum product that has been aspirated or inhaled can cause pneumonia and respiratory failure. Mineral or vegetable oil by mouth followed in half an hour by Glauber's salt to delay absorption is best. Again, do not induce vomiting. It may be necessary to perform CPR as well.

In the category of extremely toxic poisons are antifreeze, strychnine and warfarin (rat poisons), arsenic (used in snail bait, weed killer, insecticides), lead, and aspirin or acetaminophen. Run, don't walk, to your veterinarian if you suspect that your cat has ingested these substances.

If in doubt about the toxicity of a substance, you can call your local Poison Control Center or hospital emergency room. Also, the ASPCA has a 24-hour Animal Poison Control Center hotline at 888-4ANI-HELP (888-426-4435). A fee is charged, but saving your cat's life is certainly worth the cost.