Are aloe vera plants poisonous to cats? Can you have it as a household plant if you have cats at home? Let’s talk about it here.
Houseplants can be effective in eliminating indoor pollution. However, if you have pets at home, you might want to know whether or not these plants are safe for them.
Some plants can be poisonous to cats if your feline friends eat them.
Are Aloe Vera Plans Poisonous to Cats?
Aloe vera plants offer a lot of health benefits. It’s one reason they are a common household plant.
However, they can be dangerous to cats.
So, yes, aloe vera plants are poisonous to cats.
Read: Are Aloe Vera Drinks Good for You?
What Part of Aloe Vera Plant is Harmful to Your Cats?
The poisonous part of the aloe plant is white latex. It contains glycosides, anthraquinone, and anthracene. They are classified as saponins, which are poisonous to cats.
Saponins increase mucus and water in your feline’s colon. As a result, your cat will develop abdominal cramping, vomiting, and diarrhea.
If you need to use aloe for your cats for whatever reason, you can buy an aloe product without the latex. As mentioned, it is the latex part of the plant that is toxic and can be an irritant to your cats.
Symptoms of Aloe Vera Plant Poisoning in Cats
Cats are stubborn. Even if you spray your aloe vera plants with vinegar so they are less attractive to your cats, they will still be curious and eat the aloe vera.
If your cat ingests a part of the aloe vera plant, you need to watch out for the following symptoms:
- Red urine
- Vomiting
- Abdominal cramps
- Appetite loss
- Depression
- Lethargy
- Tremors
- Diarrhea
When your cats are exhibiting symptoms of aloe vera poisoning, you should call your vet as soon as possible.
Once your feline friend is on the table, your vet will examine it physically and take a full medical history.
If you think that your cat ingested your aloe plant, you may cut a sample and give it to your vet. This will help your vet know whether or not it’s the aloe vera plant that’s making it sick.
Your vet will request a urine sample and perform blood work. An x-ray may also be performed to ensure that your cat isn’t suffering from organ damage or has another illness.
Read: How to Take Herbalife Aloe Vera Drink?
How to Treat Aloe Vera Plant Poisoning?
The best thing that you can do is to call your vet if your cat is exhibiting those symptoms. Your vet will want you to remove the aloe plant from its system. It means that he may induce vomiting.
After the plant materials have been eliminated from its system, activated charcoal may be administered. This will help in neutralizing toxins that may still be inside the digestive system.
If your cat has become dehydrated because of vomiting, an IV is recommended.
Will Your Cat Survive?
It depends on several things. But the most important thing here is how quickly the treatment was given. If treatment is immediate, your pet will recover fully.
If not, it may suffer organ damage. In that case, recovery can take too long.
But it’s likely to survive.
Read: Aloe Vera Benefits
Conclusion
Are aloe vera plants poisonous to cats? They are if your cats ingested the plant. You may spray vinegar on the plant so your cats won’t get attracted to it. But since cats are stubborn, you might want to avoid having aloe vera plants indoors.
Can you give tramadol to your cats if it’s in pain after aloe vera plant poisoning? Find out here.
Janey Danes started her career as a part-time article writer, editor and proofreader in 2008. She specializes in topics related to health, travel, technology, family, and spiritual life. Danes is a licensed medical technologist and she holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Information Technology. She is also a contributor to Travel Philippines | Entertainment and Medical Technology Avenue. You can also find her on Google+.
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