Danger of Easter Lilies

dawnofsierra

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I received this email and felt we could all use this timely reminder about the danger of Easter Lilies for our kitties.


From the article below: "Within only a few hours of ingestion of the
lily plant, a cat may vomit, become lethargic or develop a lack of
appetite. These signs continue and worsen as kidney damage
progresses. Without prompt and proper treatment by a veterinarian,
the cat may develop kidney failure in 36 to72 hours. Cat owners
should remove lilies from their cat's access and are encouraged to
consider safer alternatives such as Easter orchids, Easter cactus,
Easter daisies or violets".

http://www.cfa.org/ezine/features.html#lilies
In 2004, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center managed over 275
cases involving lilies.

The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center and The Cat Fanciers'
Association (CFA) are again leading a nationwide campaign to warn cat
owners about the dangers of Easter lilies and other variations in the
lily family. "Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum), Tiger lily (Lilium
tigrinum), Rubrum lily (Lilium speciosum), Japanese show lily (Lilium
lancifolium) and some species of the Day lily (Hemerocallis species)
can cause kidney failure in cats," says Dr. Sharon Gwaltney-Brant,
Veterinary Toxicologist at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control
Center. "Unfortunately, all parts of the lily plant are considered
toxic to cats and consuming even small amounts can be life
threatening." Within only a few hours of ingestion of the lily plant,
a cat may vomit, become lethargic or develop a lack of appetite.
These signs continue and worsen as kidney damage progresses. Without
prompt and proper treatment by a veterinarian, the cat may develop
kidney failure in 36 to72 hours. Cat owners should remove lilies from
their cat's access and are encouraged to consider safer alternatives
such as Easter orchids, Easter cactus, Easter daisies or violets.
The Cat Fanciers' Association has partnered with the ASPCA Animal
Poison Control Center to help raise awareness among cat owners
nationally about the dangers of toxic plants as well as offering safe
alternatives. According to Allene Tartaglia, Director of Public
Relations for the Cat Fanciers' Association, "Part of being a
responsible pet owner is to educate yourself on the many different
health issues facing your pet. Removing dangerous plants from your
cat's home is an important part in having safer, healthier and
happier pets."

To help educate cat owners about the dangers of lilies and other
plants, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center and CFA have developed
online materials including photos of common types of dangerous lilies
and a list of non-toxic plants. To download the materials visit
www.apcc.aspca.org or www.cfa.org/articles/plants.html.
 

ktlynn

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Steph, you beat me to it! I was going to post the same info... ALL lilies should be considered poisonous to cats, and that means every part of the plant: leaf, stem, flower.

Three years ago my oldest cat ate part of a "stargazer" lily (commonly sold in supermarkets). The only way I knew that was from the orange pollen coating her white chin! I immediately called my local vet. His advice was to "watch her and bring her in if she starts to vomit". His answer didn't make me feel any better, so I called the ASPCA hotline and thank God I did. The doctor I spoke with saved my cat's life! Cats who ingest any part of the lily plant usually DO NOT show signs of illness until their kidneys shut down from the toxins. By then, it's too late. The ASPCA doctor told me to get off the phone and go directly to the animal hospital. My poor girl was at the hospital almost 4 full days being given IV fluids to essentially flush the toxin out of her system.

If you have cats, don't bring any type of lilies into the house. I thought I was being careful by having the flowers high up in a wall vase. One of the flowers wilted and dropped its petals and that's how my cat got them.

We no longer bring any flowers into the house (unless they're silk!) and we sure as heck don't take our babies to that local vet anymore!!!

Please look at the links Steph posted, write down the hotline number and keep it by your phone. It's also a great idea to print out the lists of toxic plants. BTW, the ASPCA never charged me a fee - I think that because the doctor I spoke with knew I needed to get my cat to the hospital as quickly as possible, she didn't want to waste time with credit card info. $50 is a steal when it comes to saving your cat's life. I gratefully sent them a donation.

Thanks again for posting this Steph!
 
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dawnofsierra

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Thank you for sharing your story with us! I'm so thankful you acted so quickly to have your baby treated and that she survived that dangerous ordeal! This reinforces all the more the importance of not bringing lilies of any kind into our homes!
 

sharky

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Thank you Stephanie for the YEARLY lily reminder
 

rosiemac

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There was an article in my local paper last year about a chap who's cat had brushed against the powdery bits on the inside of the lillie, then groomed himself and died


I won't have lillies in my house for that very reason because Rosies known for biting the heads off the to play with.
 

ktlynn

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Hi Steph-
Thanks so much for bringing this thread back - hope all members see it and spread the word to everyone they know who has cats.
 

tilly tiger

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thank you for sharing that information and lillies are one of my favorite flowers and if i hve anyin the house ill keep them out of tillys and dottys way
 

xocats

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Thanks for this important reminder Stephanie.
 
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