Lilies, including the true lily and daylily families, are extremely toxic to cats due to their devastating effects on their kidneys. Even small amounts of pollen can kill a cat, making it dangerous to keep them near them. The entire lily plant, including the stem, leaves, flowers, pollen, and even the water in a vase, is toxic to cats. There are several types of lilies known to be toxic to cats, including Easter lilies, Tiger lilies, and Daylilies. These lilies contain substances that can cause a variety of health issues, including licking or nibbling of the plant, licking some pollen off their coat, or drinking from a vase with lilies in it.
Lilium spp. and Hemerocallis spp. are two specific species that are fatally toxic to cats. Other species of lilies either cause mild toxicities or are non-toxic. All “true lilies” are toxic to cats, but some things called “lilies that aren’t true lilies”. It is members of the lilium genus that are toxic. Lilies, including Asiatic lilies and daylilies, can be toxic to both dogs and cats, but the effects are much more severe in cats.
True lily plants can produce severe toxicosis and acute kidney injury in cats. To spot renal toxic lilies and what signs to watch for, pet parents should avoid keeping lilies near their cats, even if they are high up and out of their reach. Lilies can also cause acute kidney injury in cats when they eat part of a lily plant.
📹 Are Lilies Poisonous To Cats?
Listen to Dr Leigh from Your Vet Online answer whether Lilies are poisonous to cats. Don’t put your pet at risk. Dr Leigh will tell …
Where to keep lilies if you have a cat?
It is advisable to refrain from cultivating lilies in a domestic setting and to ensure that they are not accessible to felines, given their propensity to climb. It is recommended that lilies and cats be kept separate and that the potential for contact be eliminated. To gain access to the Nestlé global website, please enter the provided CAPTCHA code. Nestlé is developing a solution and encourages interested parties to visit their global website. Best regards,
Can cats recover from lily poisoning?
Lily poisoning can lead to a cat’s kidneys failing and death within 24 to 72 hours after ingestion. Treatment depends on the promptness of noticing the problem, with the best way to know if your cat has ingested a lily is by noticing bite marks or missing pieces from a lily plant. If the toxin is stopped before irreversible damage occurs, your cat may make a full recovery, but expensive dialysis may be needed.
What is the survival rate for cats with lily poisoning?
Lilies are toxic plants, with flowers being the most toxic part. Minor exposure can cause acute kidney failure within 12-36 hours and death within 3-5 days. Ingestion can result in death within a few hours, with symptoms including vomiting, lethargy, anorexia, depression, drooling, stumbling, collapse, seizures, crying, urinary incontinence, or complete lack of urination. Mortality is between 50-100, and early, aggressive intervention results in a 90 survival rate.
During the romantic flower-giving season, cats should avoid lilies. Hobbes, a cat, was placed on peritoneal dialysis and medications to protect his kidneys, nervous system, and gastrointestinal tract. His blood pressure was monitored, and medications were adjusted as needed. After 12 hours of being in a medically-induced coma, Hobbes was allowed to slowly wake up and was placed on a special kidney diet and medications. At his two-week recheck, his kidney values were normal. Hobbes was the ring-bearer at his parents’ wedding one year later and continues to thrive today.
How quickly do lilies affect cats?
Lily toxicity can cause rapid symptoms in cats, including nausea, decreased appetite, drooling, vomiting, depression, and lethargy. The vomiting usually resolves within 2-6 hours, but the cat may develop excessive thirst and urinations within 12-30 hours due to kidney damage. This puts them at risk for severe dehydration, which further worsens the kidney damage. Within 24-48 hours, the kidneys may shut down, leading to anuric renal failure. Metabolic waste products build up in the body, causing vomiting and profound weakness. Within 3-7 days, symptoms progressively worsen, leading to death.
To protect cats from this fate, it is essential to prevent exposure to True Lilies and Day Lilies by not bringing them into homes. If a pet is covered in pollen or chewed on the plant, clean their face with warm water and remove as much pollen as possible. Then, bring the pet and the flower to a veterinarian for further decontamination through vomiting and administration of activated charcoal. Treatment focuses on protecting and monitoring the kidneys during the 48-72 hour period it takes to clear the toxin from the body. Hospital admission for aggressive IV fluid therapy, urine testing, and serial blood work is strongly advised.
What to do if a cat gets lily pollen on its fur?
Pollen on your cat’s fur should be washed off with water to prevent grooming and ingesting. If your cat may have been exposed to lilies, contact your vet or Animal PoisonLine for immediate advice. Top tips to prevent lily poisoning include keeping cats away from lilies, advising other cat owners not to have cut lilies in their houses or grow them in the garden, being aware of the danger of lilies, and getting immediate advice if your cat has contact with them. Filling your house with roses instead can also help prevent lily poisoning.
How quickly do cats get sick from lilies?
Lily poisoning in cats can cause symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, drooling, decreased appetite, lethargy, excessive thirst, urination, disorientation, dehydration, tremors, seizures, weakness, mouth/gum ulcers, fast heartbeat, low blood pressure, and even death. These signs typically occur within 6-12 hours after ingestion and can develop into fatal kidney failure within less than 72 hours. Treatment may include a coma or death, as well as medical attention and treatment.
Why is my cat attracted to lilies?
Lilies are a popular plant among cats due to their vibrant colors, which attract them as a defense mechanism against animal prey. Interestingly, lilies are not toxic to humans or dogs, and while cats and dogs often share allergies, the lily plant is not one of them. However, cats should avoid lily leaves, petals, and pollen. Some sources suggest that storing lilies in water sources can also be contaminated by the toxin. Scientists are still trying to understand the reason why lily flowers are toxic to cats, but no definitive conclusions have been reached.
What happens if my cat sniffs a lily?
Lilies, including true lilies and Hemerocallis, can be highly toxic to cats if not treated immediately. Tiger lilies are highly toxic to cats, and they can be poisonous when consumed, including flowers, stems, pollen, leaves, or the bulb. Lily poisoning is particularly prone to cats due to their curious nature and willingness to chew on plants. If you suspect your cat is suffering from lily poisoning or ingested a lily or plant, it is best to seek immediate veterinary care and see them before any signs appear.
What happens if my cat ate a lily and nothing happens?
If your cat ate a lily without any harm, it’s a fortunate situation. However, it’s crucial to get your cat checked by a veterinarian as it could be deadly. Lilies that affect the kidneys are poisonous for cats, and it’s best to avoid Lilium spp., Hemerocallis spp., and Convallaria spp. These plants are toxic, and their parts can cause problems. Consuming water containing lilies or their pollen can also cause issues.
Which lilies are not toxic to cats?
Lily species, including peace lilies, Peruvian lilies, and calla lilies, are safe from toxic substances. Lycorine, a strong compound that induces vomiting, can cause severe tissue irritation. Symptoms include vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, drooling, abdominal pain, and can cause low blood pressure, abnormal breathing, convulsions, and cardiac arrhythmias in severe cases. Cardiac glycosides, which affect the heart, can also cause toxic effects. All parts of the plant are considered toxic.
Is it okay to have lilies in the house with a cat?
Lilies in the “true lily” and “daylily” families pose a significant threat to cats due to their toxic nature. Eating a small amount of a leaf or flower petal, licking pollen grains off its fur, or drinking the water from the vase can cause fatal kidney failure in less than three days. The toxin, which only affects cats, has not been identified. Dogs that eat lilies may experience minor stomach upset but do not develop kidney failure. Early signs of lily toxicity include decreased activity, drooling, vomiting, and loss of appetite.
Kidney damage starts 12-24 hours after ingestion, with kidney failure occurring within 24 to 72 hours. Early veterinary treatment improves the cat’s prognosis, but delayed treatment can lead to irreversible kidney failure.
📹 Lilies Can Kill Cats
Public service announcement to make people aware of the dangers of lily ingestion in cats.
Our cat died because of this. Thing is we’ve bought lilies for our house many times and had NO IDEA these were lethal to cats! And we had 2! I even had my cat smell the lilies because they smelled so beautiful, which I suspect may have caused her poisoning, which after a couple of weeks of trying to resuscitate the cat, we still did not know this was a potential cause. I think EVERY LILY sold in the supermarket in all countries should come with a very large warning sticker to educate consumers that even light brushes with the pollen of lilies is enough to kill cats. I suspect many (most?) cat owners do not even know this, unless they are very well educated on such things. It was common knowledge while growing up that poinsettia’s were toxic to pets. But I’ve NEVER heard that beautiful smelling lilies are, which are so common in many homes. So sad.
my cat died today… she ate the flower of a lilly… … i brought her to the vet two days ago… he said she had 50% chance to recover… but she died today… … i should have known about lillies before this… i’ll share this vid with everybody! everybody should be aware of this!! thanks for sharing…
My beautiful 7 year old torty died 2 months ago of acute renal failure, which we suspect is a result of lily ingestion (but cannot be sure). Being unaware of the danger of these plants, we had a garden burgeoning with both lilium and hemerocallis type lilies, which I now know are both equally dangerous. I feel so guilty that we did not respond to her symptoms more quickly – I had believed she was displaying signs of cat flu so delayed seeking vet advice.