Aloe vera plant vs gel

[emiliemeow]

Hi there.

I am treating a burn on my arm with aloe vera gel (the kind that you buy at a drug store). I picked up my cat without thinking, and some got on her fur. Knowing that aloe is toxic to cats, I immediately wiped it off with a "cat bath" cleaning cloth, but I can't be certain I got everything off.

Does anyone know if the aloe vera gel is also toxic? I'm hoping it is maybe less, or at least since I wiped most of everything off she should be okay. I called her vet and she said to monitor her and bring her in if she starts vomiting or having other GI issues but that she should be fine since it was such a small amount, but I'm still very nervous.

Has anyone had any experience with this?

Thank you.

 

[daftcat75]

I found these two resources:

Toxic Principles: Saponins, anthraquinones

Clinical Signs: Vomiting (not horses), lethargy, diarrhea. The gel is considered edible.
Aloe

And:

Aloe is used by humans for medicinal purposes, but if true aloe is ingested by small animals, including cats, it has toxic effects. The toxins in true aloe include anthracene, glycosides, and anthraquinones. True aloe may encourage bowel movements and vomiting. Poisoning symptoms are generally mild, unless your cat has eaten a large amount of the plant.

Symptoms of True Aloe Poisoning in Cats
Symptoms of true aloe poisoning include:

• Change in urine color (urine becomes red)
• Abdominal cramps
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Loss of appetite
• Depression
• Lethargy
• In rare cases, tremors

True Aloe Poisoning in Cats - Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, Recovery, Management, Cost

She should be fine since she didn't eat the plant, it was only a small amount of gel, and you wiped much of it away.

 

[emiliemeow]

I found these two resources:



And:



She should be fine since she didn't eat the plant, it was only a small amount of gel, and you wiped much of it away.

I appreciate the help and the resources! Thank you!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

The gel isn't toxic to cats, it is the white, inner lining of the leaf, which contains latex (or whatever latex is make of) that is the culprit. The gel bought from the store contains NONE of that, so your baby should be fine.

 

[emiliemeow]

The gel isn't toxic to cats, it is the white, inner lining of the leaf, which contains latex (or whatever latex is make of) that is the culprit. The gel bought from the store contains NONE of that, so your baby should be fine.

Yay! This is such a relief to hear. Thank you!