From:
The
Coloradoan By:
Christie Long DVM
My
friend and colleague, Dr. Christine Hardy, director of operations
for the Animal Cancer Center at CSU, has one of the most harrowing
animal plant toxicity stories I've ever heard.
A few years back
when we still were in veterinary school and struggling with which
way to put the stethoscope in our ears, Hardy's thoughtful husband
bought her a lovely bouquet of flowers after a particularly confidence-stripping
test. The bouquet was well-received, but it contained lilies. Even
as a young veterinary student, Hardy knew lilies are extremely toxic
to cat kidneys. She elected to take the bouquet to work and away from
her three cats, especially Owen, the troublemaker.
No sooner had
she pulled out of the driveway did she realize that she had left the
bouquet in the mudroom. She quickly raced back into the house only
to find Owen nuzzling up to the bouquet and in particular the lilies.
Before he knew what hit him, Owen was out of the house and checked
into the Critical Care Unit at Colorado State University for induction
of vomiting followed by three days of fluid therapy to save his kidneys.
At that time, he was rumored to be the only cat they had treated for
lily toxicity that went home alive.
Ingestion of any
part of a lily - stem, petals, stamen, even pollen - can cause rapid
and severe kidney failure and death in cats. One study suggests that
prognosis is extremely grave if treatment is not initiated within
18 hours of ingestion. Surely, one of the reasons Owen is with us
today is because of Hardy's prompt response.
We don't know
what's in the lily that makes it so toxic to cats, and not everything
that's called a lily is toxic. Common varieties available at grocery
stores and floral shops that we know are toxic include stargazer lily,
rubrum lily, Easter lily, tiger lily and Japanese show lily. Peace
lilies and lily-of-the-valley are not true lilies and therefore not
toxic.
The first signs
of lily poisoning are similar to those of many toxin ingestions -
stumbling, dull mentation, vomiting, salivation and lethargy.
The key to successful
treatment is getting the patient to the hospital before the damage
is too severe. The best chance for survival occurs when someone witnesses
the ingestion and takes the cat in immediately. Vomiting may be productive
to clear the upper gastrointestinal tract of plant material, but it's
likely that some absorption already has occurred. The cat still needs
aggressive care to support the kidneys while they recover from the
insult.
If you're a cat
owner, the best thing you can do to prevent this tragedy is to keep
lilies out of your house. Retail outlets selling lilies can do their
part to make this a happier Valentine's Day by posting information
warning cat owners of the danger of lilies and helping customers make
other selections.
Just for future
reference, I like roses.
Christie
Long is a veterinarian at the VCA Fort Collins Animal Hospital. Reach
her at (970) 204-4567. Once a month, she will answer questions from
her readers regarding pet health issues. Send e-mail to thepetdoctor@gmail.com
Date
Published: February 4, 2010
