Easter Lilies | Pets Best Blog

By: Dr. Jane Matheys
Associate Veterinarian
The Cat Doctor Veterinary Hospital
For Pets Best Insurance

With Easter quickly approaching, it?s a good time to remind pet owners that Easter lilies can be very bad for pet health, as they are highly toxic to cats. Their beauty and fragrance can enhance your home environment, but even a single bite or nibble of a flower or leaf of the plant can be deadly for your cat.

Easter lily poisoning in cats has only been recognized as a problem by the National Animal Poison Control Center for about 20 years. Easter lilies are part of the scientific Lilium plant family that contains around 100 potentially toxic species and many hybrids. The more common Lily species that are known to be toxic to cats are the Easter lily, Tiger lily, Asiatic lily and Stargazer lily.

Easter lilies are very popular around Easter holidays, but most pet owners know little about the dangers these plants pose to cats. Because cats can experience accidents or illnesses at any time, even if they live indoors year round, it?s a good idea to have cat insurance.

What makes Lilies poisonous and how the poison works is still unknown, but it is known that the toxin is water soluble and deadly. Cats can suffer from kidney failure after ingesting even tiny amounts of the plant and flower or drinking water from the plant. All parts of the plant are toxic, especially the flower. Even the yellow-orange pollen is toxic and the large amount of pollen can get everywhere, including on a cat?s coat or paws where it can be ingested while grooming.

Cats are very sensitive to poisoning by Easter lilies. Pet health is in danger, as the kidney is the primary organ affected, and cats can die of kidney failure 3-5 days after exposure. Initial symptoms usually develop 6-12 hours after ingestion and include vomiting, salivation, anorexia and depression. Kidney failure typically follows, and the signs are increased thirst and urination, dehydration and lethargy. Toxins build up in the blood as the kidney failure rapidly progresses, and there may be a recurrence of vomiting, decreased urine production or even absence of urine production, weakness, recumbency, hypothermia and death.

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Prompt veterinary care is essential. If you suspect that your cat has ingested any part of the Easter lily plant, including pollen or water, consult your veterinarian immediately or take your cat to an emergency veterinary hospital without delay. The sooner your cat sees a veterinarian, the better. And having a pet health insurance plan in place, may help make tough pet health financial decisions easier. Prognosis is good if treatment is started within 6 hours of lily ingestion, but preferably sooner. Prognosis is guarded to poor if treatment is delayed until kidney problems have begun. Cats treated 18 hours or longer after ingestion have a very poor prognosis. Early, aggressive treatment is vital!

Diagnosis of Easter lily toxicity is usually made from the history provided by the owner along with blood and urine tests. Treatment is supportive and includes intravenous fluid therapy and protection of the gastrointestinal tract. Cats will need to be hospitalized for several days which can be costly. Consider purchasing cat insurance while your cat is young and healthy to help cover the expenses of these life- threatening emergencies.

The beauty of the Easter lily is not worth the consequence. Prevent Easter lily toxicity by keeping plants safely out of the reach of your cat, or for a better and safer option, do not have them around your home at all. Help spread the word: beware-lilies can kill cats!

For more information about pet health or to learn more about pet insurance, visit Pets Best Insurance.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 2nd, 2012 at 8:00 am and is filed under Cat insurance.

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