Difficulty in breathing Blue tongue and gums Panting Vomiting and/or diarrhea Gastric irritation Coughing and sneezing Depression Salivation Seizures, tremors or involuntary muscle twitching Weakness and potentially unconsciousness Dilated pupils Frequent urination Dark urine Shivering[1] X Research source
Wear long sleeves and/or gloves to protect yourself from the poison. Sick and wounded cats are likely to bite and scratch because they are upset and afraid. When a cat feels unwell or is anxious, her first instinct is to hide. If the cat has been poisoned you will need to monitor her symptoms and so it is not appropriate to let her hole up somewhere. In a gentle but firm manner, pick the cat up and take her to a safe room. The kitchen or bathroom is ideal since you will need access to water. If the poison is within the area, cautiously remove it away from reach of any pets or humans. [2] X Research source
You can also call the Pet Poison Helpline (800-213-6680) or the ASPCA Poison Control Center (1-888-426-4435). Pet poison hotlines are not funded by the government like human poison hotlines are, so they usually charge a fee to help pay for the service.
Your first contacts should be your vet, the pet poison hotline, and the product manufacturer. If you have access to the internet, search the active ingredient. It is helpful to phrase the search like this: Is [name of product] toxic to cats? Some products may be safe when ingested and if you find that out, you need go no further. If the substance is poisonous, the next step is to decide whether to make the cat vomit or not.
The vet or the helpline will have more knowledge and skill in determining what to do or what to give your poisoned cat.
The poison was eaten within the past two hours. If it was eaten more than two hours ago, it has already been absorbed, so vomiting is useless. The cat is conscious and able to swallow. Never give anything by mouth to an unconscious, semi-conscious, or seizing/mentally altered cat. The poison is NOT an acid, strong alkali, or petroleum product. You’re 100% certain you know the poison was ingested.
Strong acids and alkalis are found in household rust removers, glass etching fluids, and cleaning products such as bleach. Petroleum products include lighter fluid, gasoline, and kerosene. As previously mentioned you should not make the cat vomit, instead encourage her to drink full-fat milk or eat a raw egg. [7] X Research source If she will not drink freely, then use the child’s dosing syringe to drip-feed up to 100 ml of milk into her mouth. This will help dilute the acid or alkali, and neutralize it. A raw egg has a similar action.
Strong acids and alkalis are found in household rust removers, glass etching fluids, and cleaning products such as bleach. Petroleum products include lighter fluid, gasoline, and kerosene. As previously mentioned you should not make the cat vomit, instead encourage her to drink full-fat milk or eat a raw egg. [7] X Research source If she will not drink freely, then use the child’s dosing syringe to drip-feed up to 100 ml of milk into her mouth. This will help dilute the acid or alkali, and neutralize it. A raw egg has a similar action.
The dose of 3% hydrogen peroxide is 5 ml (one teaspoon) per 5 lb body weight, by mouth. An average cat weighs around 10 lb, so you will need about 10 ml (two teaspoons worth. ) Repeat this every ten minutes, for a maximum of three doses. [8] X Research source To dose the cat, hold her securely and gently insert the syringe into the cat’s mouth, behind the upper fangs. Depress the plunger, dribbling about of ml at a time onto the cat’s tongue. Give her time to swallow each time and never shoot the full amount in quickly since you may flood her mouth and then she will inhale the peroxide into her lungs.
Dissolve the powder in the smallest volume of water possible, to form a thick slurry, and syringe it into the cat’s mouth. Repeat this dose every 2 to 3 hours, for 4 doses.
As a last resort, you may wish to cut off the worst affected hair with scissors or clippers. Better safe than sorry!
An average cat requires 250 ml of water a day, so don’t be afraid to refill that dosing syringe lots of times!
