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Hundreds of cats struck down after coming into contact with toxic flower
Drinking water from a vase containing lilies could be enough to kill a cat, vets have warned.
Hundreds of cats have been admitted to Vets Now’s out-of-hours clinics and 24/7 pet emergency hospitals as a result of coming into contact with the flowers.
Vets are warning lilies are so toxic just licking their leaves or even drinking water contaminated with their pollen could have potentially fatal consequences.
One cat, Millie (pictured), from Wickham Bishops, in Essex, ended up on a drip at Vets Now in Witham after licking pollen from the flowers, which are popular Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and at Easter.
Millie, whose mouth and paws were stained yellow as a result of the incident, was kept in overnight but survived the ordeal.
Vets Now, the UK’s leading provider of pet emergency care, treats around three cats a week for lily toxicity and there is often a rise in cases around Valentine’s Day, Easter and Mother’s Day.
Dave Leicester, Vets Now’s head of clinical intelligence, said: “We see a big rise in pet emergency cases during public holidays and often it’s due to cats and dogs eating things they shouldn’t such as lilies and chocolate.
“Lilies are particularly poisonous to cats. They can cause severe diarrhoea, convulsions, acute kidney failure and even death.
“What makes them particularly dangerous is that all parts of the plant are toxic and even small ingestions, such as two or three leaves or petals, or water from a vase containing lilies, can be potentially fatal.
“In fact, even very small amounts of pollen can be extremely dangerous. Cats can swallow a toxic amount just by grooming after brushing against the flowers.
“Lilies are so dangerous we’d call on cat owners never to have them in their house.”
Over the past three years Vets Now has treated at least 413 cats for lily poisoning.
However, the figure could be higher as many cases involving the flower were reported under general toxicity.
Among those to undergo treatment was Diego, who suffered acute kidney failure after eating lilies and was admitted to Vets Now in Reading.
His treatment lasted several weeks before he was allowed home. Another case was that of Missie who was put on a drip at Vets Now in Northampton and treated with activated charcoal, which is used for toxic ingestions.
She had only chewed on a lily leaf but suffered severe complications.
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Cats of any age, breed or gender can be affected by lily poisoning.
Owners who suspect their cat has eaten a lily should not wait for signs or symptoms to appear before they contact a vet. Instead, they should telephone their vet immediately or, out of hours, their nearest Vets Now pet emergency clinic.
Dave Leicester added: “If you think your cat has eaten or even licked lilies, or you find lily pollen staining on her coat, nose or paws, you should seek urgent veterinary advice.
“It’s likely treatment will include intravenous fluids – a drip – and decontamination treatment. Early, aggressive treatment is essential for the best chance of success.”
Vets Now is open through the night, seven-days-a-week, and day and night and on weekends and bank holidays such as Easter, to treat any pet emergencies that may occur.
All of our clinics and hospitals have a vet and vet nurse on site at all times.