Lily Toxicity in Cats
Spring has sprung and it’s the Easter season. Many of us enjoy the smell of a hyacinth, the beauty of tulips, and the elegance of the Easter Lily in our homes. Few suspect a lethal foe waging war against cats. Did you know that ingesting a small leaf or petal from an Easter Lily can be toxic to your feline friends? Even drinking water from a vase of lilies can cause severe disease.
Easter lilies, along with other lilies of the Lilium genus, cause acute kidney failure in cats. Stargazer lilies and Asiatic lilies, along with Easter lilies, have proven the most toxic in this group of plants. Fortunately, Calla lilies and Peace lilies can cause GI upset but have not been shown to cause kidney failure as they do not belong to the Lilium genus. Cats who have consumed toxic lilies can have kidney failure within 36 to 72 hours of ingestion. Signs of acute kidney failure include vomiting, lethargy, and inappetance. Cats who have ingested lilies require urgent veterinary care. Research and anecdotal evidence reveal not all cats respond to the toxin equally; Some cats recover with minimal intervention while others require life saving diuresis and/or dialysis. Others aren’t so lucky and will die from complications of kidney failure.
The safest bet is to keep all lilies out of reach of your cats.
Wow! I am so glad I read this!! We love lilies and occasionally I purchase them to decorate my home. But I love my cat and my dog more. I LOVE your blog! It is so helpful.
1Thank you Nici! I love lilies, too. I find it so frustrating trying to buy floral arrangements without lilies in them. I think we need to do more to educate pet owners, like signs in the floral section of the grocery store warning of the potential dangers of flowers and house plants to our pets.
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