Lilies cause kidney failure and death in cats |
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April 07,2011 Dear friends and family, As Easter and the joyful days of spring approach, please be aware a common flower that may be in or around your home or in floral bouquets may be deadly to cats. Lilies cause kidney failure and death in cats. Many different varieties of lily are poisonous to cats. These include those of the Lilium species and Hemerocallis species, such as Stargazer lily, Easter lily (Liliumlongiflorum), day lily (Hemerocallis spp), tiger lily (Lilium spp), Japanese show lily (L hybridum), and rubrum lily (L rubrum) can all cause kidney failure in cats. Peace lily (Spathiphyllum spp.) and Lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria majalis) are not considered true lilies and while they are able to make cats ill in other ways, they do not usually cause kidney failure. Cats should not be allowed to ingest these plants either. Vomiting and lethargy were the most common initial clinical signs reported by cat owners and developed between 1 and 5 days after exposure. In most cats, kidney failure was evident at the time signs were first noticed. Gastrointestinal tract upset (vomiting), lethargy, and loss of appetite are commonly noticed. Urine output may be increased, decreased, or nonexistent. In rare cases, seizures may occur. The precise toxin is still unknown. All parts of the Lily plant are poisonous, even the water the flowers are in. Cats have died simply from getting Lily flower pollen on their face. This poisoning is not well known outside of the veterinary profession, so please spread the word to your family and friends. Those of you in the veterinary field, please make sure your friends and families know the dangers of lilies. It can happen to anyone. Seven days ago, my two cats were exposed to lilies in a floral bouquet. One or both cats had eaten less than one inch of one leaf of a lily and had bitten the end of an unopened lily flower bud. Fortunately this was found and treatment was started within 4 hours. Both cats were hospitalized on intravenous fluids for 3 days. They both seem to be fine and we are very lucky. Lilies are commonly included in floral bouquets for their beauty and their fragrance. When you order flowers, please request “NO lilies.” If you receive a floral bouquet that contains lilies, please consider throwing the entire bouquet away or at least removing the lilies, dumping the water the flowers came in, and rinsing the remaining flowers off, to remove any lily pollen that may be present. Personally, I will throw them away and not take the chance. If your cat eats any portion of a lily, please take your cat to a veterinarian immediately. The poisoning is nearly 100% fatal if kidney failure develops. A delay in treatment of 12 hours or longer may result in kidney failure. Do not wait to see if clinical signs of illness occur. Intravenous fluids and other therapies may be needed for 48 hours or longer. Severe poisonings require dialysis or kidney transplant. A very useful website that lists poisonous and nonpoisonous plants for pets, along with other information about poisonings in pets is www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control. Please ask your veterinarian if you have any concerns about your cat, or call an emergency veterinary hospital if your veterinarian is not available. Please spread the word to your family and friends, and to your florist. Below are photos of some various lilies that cause kidney failure in cats: Stargazer lily
Glory lily
Lily
Easter lily
Rubrum lily
Hemerocallis spp.
Hemerocallis spp. Lilies of the Zantedeschia spp.(Calla lilies), Spathiphyllum spp. (Peace lily) and Convallaria majalis (lily-of-the-valley) can also cause severe illness in cats.
Zantedeschia spp.(Calla lily)
Zantedeschia spp.(Calla lily)
Spathiphyllum spp. (Peace lily)
Convallaria majalis (lily-of-the-valley)
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