Lily Poisoning in Cats

Lilies seem to becoming more and more popular in floral arrangements and while they are beautiful, they are deadly to cats.  All parts of the plant are toxic and it only takes a tiny amount to cause acute kidney failure in cats.  Examples of these plants are the Easter Lily (Lilium longiflorum), Tiger Lily ( Lilium tigrinum), Day Lily (Lilium hemerocallus), Asian lily (Lily asiatic spp.) and Rubrum Lily ( Lilium rubrum).  However, any plant in the lily family can result in poisoning.

Clinical signs

• Vomiting, hypersalivation, depression, and anorexia usually occur within 1 to 2 hours after ingestion, followed by absence of urination and severe renal failure 2 to 4 days later. 

• If you know or think your cat might have eaten a lily, even just a tiny portion, take you cat to your veterinarian RIGHT AWAY.  The sooner treatment is begun, the better the prognosis.

Treatment

• The most important course of treatment is emptying the stomach of all plant components within 4 hours of ingestion.   
• Then administering medications to prevent absorption of the toxin.
• Also, diuresis of the kidneys via intravenous fluid therapy for 48 hours is very important to make sure that the kidneys continue to function appropriately.

Prognosis

• If emptying the stomach and administering medications to prevent absorption of the toxin are effective and fluid diuresis is performed, the prognosis for recovery is usually excellent.
• If enough toxin is absorbed to lead to acute kidney failure, the prognosis is guarded. This makes it very important to seek emergency care immediately after ingestion of the lily plant. 

For more information on lilies and other toxic plants please visit the ASPCA Poison Control website.