Cats are quite curious animals who are not averse to trying out everything around them for a tooth. Poisonous plants, household chemicals, poisons for rodents - this is not a complete list of what the animal can eat. In this case, the cat is poisoned. How to help a poisoned pet? How to induce vomiting in a cat? What must be done to avoid poisoning the animal?
Types of Poisoning
Poisons that cause poisoning can be of organic and inorganic origin. They can enter the body of the animal from the external environment or have an internal origin.
The effects of poisoning depend on the substances that enter the cat's body. The following groups of poisonings that cause intoxication of the animal organism can be distinguished:
- carbon monoxide and other types of gas poisoning;
- spoiled food;
- arsenic, copper and phosphorus;
- chocolate
- poisoning cats with poisons;
- medicines;
- household chemicals;
- acid;
- organophosphorus substances.
Intoxication can be acute and chronic. In the case of acute leakage, poison enters the body once in a large dose, which causes a sharp deterioration in the health of the animal. In this case, it is important to know how to induce vomiting in a cat. In a chronic course, poison enters the body in small doses over a long period of time. The health status of a cat worsens gradually.
Causes
One of the most common causes of cat poisoning is poor or stale food. Often poisoning is received by street cats who find food in garbage cans. Cats should not be given chocolate - it is poisonous to them. Another reason could be poisonous plants. Some plants are toxic. Cats, on the other hand, like to chew on the greens that are attracted, which can cause poisoning.
Also the cause of intoxication are the bites of poisonous insects or snakes. Medicines and household chemicals, which are in an accessible place, are also dangerous. Poisons for rodents and cockroaches pose a great danger.
What to do with cat poisoning, consider below.
Symptoms of Poisoning
We list the main symptoms of cat poisoning:
- profuse vomiting;
- diarrhea;
- low or high body temperature;
- weakness;
- loss of interest in the outside world;
- cramps
- chills;
- pupils dilated;
- hard breath;
- foam from the mouth and nose;
- intense thirst;
- refusal of food;
- increased salivation.
It is worth noting that these symptoms can also indicate other serious diseases of the cat, therefore, to make an accurate diagnosis, it must be shown to the doctor as soon as possible.
First aid for cat poisoning
If the poisonous substance gets on the cat's hair and skin, it must be washed off with clean water at room temperature without detergents. Acid can be washed off with soda.
If a cat swallows poison, cleansing the stomach can help in the first minutes. How to cause vomiting in a cat? To do this, use a three percent hydrogen peroxide. It is necessary to pour a tea box into the jaws of the animal. Peroxide can cause gagging. In case of its absence, a saline solution should be used. This should be done only if serious symptoms of poisoning have not yet been observed, otherwise it is likely that due to a paralyzed pharynx, the cat will simply choke on its own vomiting.
The cat's stomach is washed with warm, clean water. It is best to entrust this to the veterinarian, but if he is not nearby, you can try to help the animal at home. To do this, you need to take a large syringe, fill it with water and inject water into the mouth of the cat. Continue until a clear, clear liquid begins to come out of the stomach. The animal needs to be given a sorbent that will fight against toxins.
If the pet was bitten by an insect or snake, ice should be applied to the affected area. A tourniquet can be applied to a wounded limb to prevent the spread of poison throughout the body.
In case of carbon monoxide poisoning, if the animal has lost consciousness and is not breathing, the cat needs artificial respiration. To do this, the animal should be put on its side, with your fingers squeeze the sternum towards the throat six times, and then take a breath into the nose. It makes sense to carry out resuscitation measures within seven minutes.
Treatment of cat poisoning at home should be limited only to first aid, after which the animal must be shown to a doctor.
Treatment
Even if the first aid provided was quite effective, and the condition of the animal improved, the cat should still be referred to a veterinarian. Toxins have a destructive effect on internal organs, therefore they must be removed from the body as soon as possible.
Symptoms and treatment of poisoning in cats are clearly interconnected, so you must first diagnose the cause of intoxication. This may require analysis.
For food poisoning, the veterinarian uses a special probe. The doctor will wash the stomach of the animal, give it sorbents. You may need a dropper with glucose, medications that support the heart and stimulate breathing.
With a bite of a poisonous insect or snake, the cat will be injected with adrenaline and novocaine blockade, heparin will not allow blood clots to form in the blood.
In case of poisoning with rat poison, a cat needs to urgently introduce an antidote - “Vikasol”. Blood clotting drugs are needed.
Diet after poisoning
Within a day after poisoning, the animal will benefit from a hunger strike. The cat should have clean drinking water freely available.
After it, you can give meat broth, light milk porridge and low-fat sour-milk products. It is better to feed the animal three to four times a day in small portions. You can’t give milk to a cat.
After a few days, solid food is introduced into the diet. You may need to give drugs that support the liver and stomach. It depends on the amount of harm done to the body.
Prevention
To avoid poisoning the animal, you need to take care of the quality of its nutrition. When using dry feed, preference should be given to premium and super premium class feeds, since low-quality food products usually do not use the best quality ingredients. When buying feed, you must always pay attention to the expiration date and storage conditions, and then adhere to them. When feeding natural food, do not leave food in a bowl for a long time, especially in the summer. You can not feed cats spoiled meat, products of which you doubt the quality.
Medicines, household chemicals, acid, must be hidden in a safe place in which the animal can not get. The same goes for poisonous plants. If you are a terrarium dog that contains poisonous snakes or insects, make sure that the cat cannot come into direct contact with them. Terrariums must be locked with secure locks.
Thus, cats often eat something that can cause poisoning. In this case, it is important to provide assistance to the animal as soon as possible in order to avoid irreparable consequences that may arise due to intoxication. We examined how to cause vomiting in a cat, and what other measures should be taken in case of poisoning. Even if the terrible consequences were avoided, the animal still needs to be shown to a specialist.