Poisoning

Poisoning: May be caused by spoiled food, poisoned meat set out to destroy pests, mice killed by arsenic, household or garden chemicals, or poisons cruelly fed to the animal by others. Other household poisons are lead, petroleum distillates, detergents, lye, cleansers, mothballs and medications such as aspirin. It is almost never possible to notice poisoning at the moment it occurs but only later, when the symptoms become evident. Such symptoms include heavy flow of saliva, a sense of suffocation, diarrhea, collapse and nervous attacks. Get the animal to a vet immediately.

PLANTS POISONOUS TO CATS:    

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  • alfalfa (medicago sativa)
  • almond pits (prunus dulcis)
  • aloe vera (aloe vera)
  • alocasia
  • amaryllis (hippeastrum)
  • apple leaf croton
  • apple seeds (malus pumila)
  • apricot pits (prunus armeniaca)
  • arrowgrass
  • arrowhead vine or nephthytis (syngonium podophyllum)
  • asparagus fern (asparagus densiflorus)
  • autumn crocus
  • avacado (fuit and pit)
  • azalea or rhododendron (rhododendron)
  • baby's breath
  • balsam pear (momordica charantia)
  • baneberry
  • bayonet
  • beargrass
  • beech (fagus sylvatica)
  • begonia (begonia)
  • belladonna
  • bindweed or morning glory (convolvulus, ipomoea)
  • bird of paradise (strelitzia reginae)
  • bittersweet or staff vine (celastrus)
  • black-eyed susan
  • black locust (robinia pseudoacacia)
  • bleeding heart
  • bloodroot
  • bluebonnet
  • box or common boxwood (buxus sempervirens)
  • branching ivy
  • buckeye or horse chestnut (aesculus)
  • buddist pine
  • burning bush
  • buttercups (ranunculus)
  • cactus, candelabra
  • caladium or elephant's ear (alocasia)
  • calla lily
  • castor bean (ricinus communis)
  • ceriman
  • charming dieffenbachia
  • cherry bark, leaves, pits, seeds, & twigs (prunus)
  • cherry, ground
  • cherry, laurel
  • chinaberry
  • chinese evergreen
  • christmas cactus (schlumbergera bridgesii)
  • christmas rose
  • chrysanthemum (chrysanthemum)
  • cineria
  • clematis
  • coleus (coleus hybridus)
  • common boxwood or box (buxus sempervirens)
  • cordatum
  • coriaria
  • cornflower
  • corn Plant
  • cornstalk Plant
  • corydalis
  • creeping charlie (pilea nummulariifolia)
  • creeping fig (ficus pumila)
  • crocus, autumn
  • croton
  • crown of thorns (euphorbia milii)
  • cuban laurel
  • cutleaf philodendron
  • cycads
  • cyclamen (cyclamen)
  • daffodil (narcissus)
  • daphne (daphne)
  • datura
  • deadly nightshade (atropa bella-donna)
  • death camas
  • decentrea
  • delphinium or larkspur (delphinium, consolida)
  • devil's ivy
  • dieffenbachia or drunk cane (dieffenbachia)
  • dracaena palm
  • dragon tree
  • drunk cane or dieffenbachia (dieffenbachia)
  • dumb cane
  • easter lily
  • eggplant
  • elaine
  • elderberry
  • elephant's ear or caladium (alocasia)
  • emerald duke
  • emerald feather
  • english ivy
  • eucalyptus
  • euonymus or spindle tree (euonymus)
  • evergreen
  • ferns
  • fiddle-leaf fig
  • florida beauty
  • flax
  • four o'clock
  • foxglove (digitalis)
  • fruit salad plant
  • geranium
  • german ivy
  • giant dumb cane
  • glacier ivy golden chain
  • gold dieffenbachia
  • gold dust dracaena
  • golden chain tree (laburnum)
  • golden glow
  • golden pothos
  • gopher purge
  • hahn's self-branching ivy
  • heart leaf or philodendron (philodendron scandens)
  • heartland philodendron
  • hellebore
  • hemlock, poison
  • hemlock, water
  • henbane
  • holly (ilex)
  • honeysuckle berries (lonicera)
  • horse chestnut or buckeye (aesculus)
  • horsebeans
  • horsebrush
  • hurricane plant
  • hyacinth
  • hydrangea (hydrangea)
  • indian rubber plant
  • indian tobacco
  • iris (iris)
  • ivies, all (hedera)
  • jack-in-the-pulpit (arisaema triphyllum)
  • janet Craig Dracaena
  • japanese Show Lily
  • jasmine (gelsemium, jasminum)
  • java Beans
  • jerusalem cherry (solanum pseudocapsicum)
  • jessamine
  • jimson weed
  • jonquil
  • jungle trumpets
  • kalanchoe
  • lacy tree philodendron
  • lantana
  • larkspur or delphinium (delphinium, consolida)
  • laurel
  • lilies, all (lilium)
  • lily
  • lily Spider
  • lily-of-the-valley (convallaria)
  • locoweed
  • lupine (lupinus)
  • madagascar dragon tree
  • majesty
  • marble queen or pothos (epipremnum aureum)
  • marigold
  • marijuana
  • mescal bean (sophora)
  • mexican breadfruit
  • miniature croton
  • mistletoe berries (santalales)
  • mock orange (philadelphus coronarius)
  • monkshood (aconitum)
  • morning glory or bindweed (convolvulus, ipomoea)
  • moonseed
  • mother-in law's Tongue
  • mountain laurel
  • mushrooms (amanita muscaria)
  • narcissus
  • needlepoint ivy
  • nephthytis or arrowhead vine (syngonium podophyllum)
  • nightshade
  • oleander (nerium oleander)
  • onion
  • oriental lily
  • peace lily
  • peach bark, leaves & pits (prumus persica)
  • pencil cactus
  • peony
  • periwinkle (catharanthus roseus)
  • philodendron or heart leaf (philodendron scandens)
  • pimpernel
  • plumosa fern
  • poinciana
  • poinsettia (euphorbia)
  • poison hemlock (conium maculatum)
  • poison Ivy
  • poison oak
  • pokeweed
  • poppy
  • potato, green parts & eyes (solanum tuberosum)
  • pothos or marble queen (epipremnum aureum)
  • pot mum
  • precatory bean (abrus precatorius)
  • primrose
  • privet (ligustrum)
  • red emerald
  • red princess
  • red-margined dracaena
  • rhododendron or azalea (rhododendron)
  • rhubarb (rheum)
  • ribbon Plant
  • rosary pea (abrus precatorius)
  • rubber plant
  • saddle leaf
  • sago palm
  • satin pothos
  • schefflera
  • scotch broom
  • silver pothos
  • skunk cabbage (lysichiton)
  • snowdrops
  • snow on the mountain
  • spindle tree or euonymus (euonymus)
  • spider mum
  • spinach (spinacia oleracea)
  • split leaf
  • spotted dumb cane
  • spraneri fern
  • staggerweed
  • staff vine or bittersweet (celastrus)
  • star of bethlehem
  • string of pearls
  • striped dracaena
  • sweetheart ivy
  • sweetpea
  • swiss cheese plant
  • tansy mustard
  • taro vine
  • tiger lily
  • tobacco (nicotiana)
  • tomato plant (green fruit, stem and leaves)
  • tree philodendron
  • tropic snow dieffenbachia
  • tulip (tulipa)
  • tung tree
  • umbrella plant (cyperus alternifolius)
  • virginia creeper
  • water hemlock
  • weeping fig (ficus benjamina)
  • wisteria (wisteria)
  • wild call
  • yews, all (taxus) - English, Western, American

A good rule of thumb to remember is if the product label says, "keep out of the reach of children," keep it away from your cat also. A cat's reaction to chemical poisoning will vary depending on the substance, amount ingested or inhaled, and the cat's overall health. Symptoms of poisoning can range from intensely excited behavior, to excessive drooling, breathing or swallowing difficulty, muscle spasms, trembling, vomiting, diarrhea and, in extreme cases, coma followed by death. If you believe your cat has been poisoned, immediately call your vet for emergency care at home. When the cat is convulsing or unconscious, first aid at home will not help. Wrap the cat in a blanket and get him to the animal hospital without delay.

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