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Easter Lilies Toxic to Cats
Tampa, Fla., Monday, April 6, 2009 – The Spring season is upon us and the Easter holiday is right around the corner with Easter lilies hitting the shelves of our local retailers. Florida Veterinary Specialists is warning cat owners to beware of purchasing Easter lilies because of its life-threatening effects on cats.
“Each year Florida Veterinary Specialists documents several cases of acute renal failure in cats from the Tampa Bay area directly related to Easter lily ingestion,” said Dr. Dee Ann Dugger an emergency veterinary clinician at Florida Veterinary Specialists. “Cats that ingest any part of the lily from petals to stems to the water in the vase can suffer from lethal chemical poisoning.”
The onset of clinical signs, such as depression, vomiting and renal failure otherwise known as kidney failure can occur from 30 minutes to 48 hours after ingestion of lily. Although there is no antidote, early supportive care, especially within six hours of ingestion, can maximize a pet’s recovery. Because of the high toxicity of the chemical in Easter lilies, waiting too long to seek veterinary medical attention decreases the chances of recovery and often times leads to death.
If you suspect your cat has ingested any part of an Easter lily or related lily species, please contact your family veterinarian immediately or seek veterinary emergency services immediately, as kidney failure can occur within 32 to 72 hours without treatment.
Florida Veterinary Specialists is a referral-based hospital with 24-hour emergency care services dedicated to providing a superior level of patient and client care through close cooperation with the family practitioner. Their specialized services include Acupuncture, Avian & Exotic, Behavioral Medicine, Cardiology, Critical Care, Dermatology, Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Oncology & Radiation, Ophthalmology, Radiology, Rehabilitation and Surgery. Florida Veterinary Specialists is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and is located at 3000 Busch Lake Blvd. in Tampa. In addition to its Tampa location, FVS has satellite facilities in Clearwater and Brandon. For further information, please visit www.fvs.com.
Florida Veterinary Specialists is a member hospital of BluePearl Veterinary Partners, along with NYC Veterinary Specialists (www.nycvs.com) and Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Center of Kansas City (www.vseckc.com). BluePearl Veterinary Partners merged in 2008 and is one of the leading providers of emergency and specialized referral veterinary medicine.
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