When your cat swallows any portion of the snake lily plant, he or she can be poisoned. This plant includes the poisons irisin and pentacyclic terpenoids, which irritate the cat’s stomach and intestines. Although cats are poisoned by all parts of the plant, the bulb contains the largest quantity of poisons.
What Is Snake Lilly?
Iridaceae is a wide family of perennial herbaceous plants that grow from a rhizome, corm, or bulb. There are native Iris types all around the world that may be used in a native or forest garden. They form mounds or drifts in rich soils, and some like damp or marshy locations, as well as standing water. Some of these plants may be cultivated as houseplants. Different types require varying levels of light, ranging from full sun to complete shade. They reproduce through root division or seed.
Snake lily leaves are often long, strap-like, and sword-shaped, overlapping at the base, and orientated in a single plane. Flowers with one to multiple blooms are held at the top of a bare stem that can grow as small as 3 inches in dwarf types and as long as 3 feet in tall varieties. Snake lilies come in a variety of colors, including blues, violets, yellows, oranges, white, and even black, and are treasured as cut flowers in the perennial garden.
Clinical Signs of Snake Lilly Poisoning in Cats
Symptoms of snake lily poisoning often appear shortly after the cat swallows the plant. However, it may take up to 12 hours for them to emerge in certain circumstances. Some of the most common symptoms are as follows:
- Excessive drooling
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Lethargy
- Loss of appetite
- Internal bleeding in the stomach and small intestine hemorrhage
First Aid and Treatment of Snake Lilly Poisoning in Cats
To begin, the vet will need to induce vomiting in the cat by injecting a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution orally. He will also give your cat activated charcoal, which will absorb any poisons that are remaining in her stomach before they enter her bloodstream.
If your cat is dehydrated as a consequence of constant vomiting, the veterinarian can administer fluids by IV until his health improves. If the plant material has already passed through the stomach, the veterinarian may provide an enema or laxative to clear out the intestines and remove as many toxins as possible.
In extreme circumstances, when the toxins have already begun to harm the kidneys, the veterinarian may need to conduct dialysis to rescue the cat. This is uncommon and only occurs in cats that have been poisoned and have not received treatment for several days.
Recovery from Snake Lilly Poisoning in Cats
As long as your cat received immediate and appropriate veterinary treatment, his chances of full recuperation are high. If it took several days before getting treatment for your cat, he may not survive particularly if the toxin has already caused renal failure.
Prevention of Snake Lilly Poisoning in Cats
Avoid bringing snake lilies into your house. Be cautious in bringing in bouquets and cut flowers. Make sure snake lilies are not growing in your gardens or surrounding areas. Limiting your cat’s access outdoors will reduce the risk of exposure to snake lilies and other toxic plants.
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