With the presence of a multitude of toxic elements in your cat’s environment, ingestion of unwanted substances can be fatal for your cat. Here is a look at how to induce vomiting in cats, that can help rid your cat’s gastrointestinal tract of the toxic elements in case of emergency.
If “curiosity killed the cat” then it most certainly brought a host of troubles for the poor owner. Being a cat owner, the morbid thoughts of my naturally curious cat, seems to haunt me all the time. These concerns of cat health that I may have, however, does not seem to affect my cat who stalks out of the house in search of small animals and to explore the out-of-the-way terrain. So, if your cat sees your garden as a salad bar (cats munch on plants and grass to induce vomiting to remove hairballs), chances are that it might end up ingesting some unwanted stuff which might be potentially fatal for the cat. Yes, I know that you need to get it to a vet or to emergency animal clinic as quickly as possible. However, if you cannot get to the vet in time, inducing vomiting may help the cat rid itself of ingested toxic.
Stimulating vomiting or emesis in cats may restrict the absorption of the harmful substances and objects. This can only be done within two hours of the ingestion of the suspected harmful toxin. However, if the cat has already consumed the toxin for more than 2 hours, then the object has already left the stomach and been absorbed or forwarded to the intestinal tract.
When To Induce Vomiting in Cats
Before we can look into the techniques of inducing vomiting, let us look at the common scenarios where inducing vomiting is helpful.
- In case the cat ingests rodenticide, like D-CON, Mouse Prufe II, or Talan, which cause blood clotting disorders.
- Arsenic when consumed, can lead to death even without the cat displaying any symptoms. It is usually found in slug snail bait and other weed killers or insecticides.
- Ingesting prescription pills or over-the-counter painkillers like Tylenol or Aspirin can be toxic for your cat.
- In case your cat takes in antifreeze, vomiting must be induced immediately to avoid renal failure.
Most of the time, you notice that the cat is poisoned, if it displays symptoms such as seizures, excessive salivation, vomiting, loss of appetite, or diarrhea.
How To Induce Vomiting in Cats
Hydrogen Peroxide
Administering three percent hydrogen peroxide can induce vomiting in dogs and cats. The appropriate dosage is, one teaspoon per ten pounds body weight which is up to three teaspoons per dose, every 10 minutes. Vomiting should ideally occur in 15 to 20 minutes. In case there is no vomiting you can repeat the dosage once more. Sometimes, you may find the label indicating that hydrogen peroxide is toxic. Since it induces vomiting and therefore does not stay in the body. it can be given to the cat if advised by the veterinarian.
Syrup of Ipecac
Used mainly to induce vomiting in children, the syrup of ipecac can be toxic to cats so, it should not be used unless specifically advised by your veterinarian. The proper dosage of it being, 1 teaspoon per 10 pounds body weight, once only. Do not repeat the dosage, as it may have toxic effects on the heart of the cat, if the syrup is not vomited out.
Other Methods
There are other alternative methods of inducing vomiting in cats and delaying absorption. For the less severe cases, try milk, egg whites, or vegetable oil to coat the bowel and prevent or delay absorption of toxins. For the more serious cases, you can coat the bowel by mixing one part activated charcoal with six parts cold water and half an hour later, give your cat, Milk of Magnesia. The ideal dosage is, half a teaspoon for every five pounds of body weight with the aid of a stomach tube.
It is important to remember that, you DO NOT induce vomiting in your cat, if it is already unconscious, having seizures or convulsions, or has already vomited. It is also not advisable to induce vomiting, if the cat has ingested acid or alkali product, such as a caustic bleach or drain cleaner, a cleaning solution, or petroleum product. The best course of action then, is to get your cat examined and treated by the veterinarian, as soon as possible. Remember, when the life of your treasured pet is at stake, effective treatment depends on immediate treatment.
Disclaimer: This article is for informative purposes only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of a veterinarian.
