Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Lilies - quick advice please

23 replies

BeaufortBelle · 12/07/2015 22:40

OK - I wasn't aware of the risk.

Put a pot of Lilies (pink ones) by the back door this morning for DH to plant in garden as they were dying (they were a gift). Cat had a chew of the leaves and they went out immediately afterwards.

Cat was sick within about an hour and brought up a couple of the leaves.

Cat seems absolutely fine. Drinking, eating, has been spark out for a couple of hours but that is absolutely normal.

Have been googling and have completely terrified myself.

Should I phone emergency vet now or leave it until tomorrow morning for further advice. He is 7 and fit and well.

OP posts:
thecatneuterer · 12/07/2015 22:43

Emergency vet now I think. The pollen is certainly fatal, but all parts are poisonous. The sooner you can get help the better. Call the vet now.

thecatneuterer · 12/07/2015 22:44

Oh and don't plant the lilies. Throw them away.

DameDoom · 12/07/2015 22:44

Check up immediately - it's the pollen that is very toxic and it falls so easily and gets on to fur.

thecatneuterer · 12/07/2015 22:47

The leaves are also poisonous. If you start treatment within six hours of them being eaten then you have a chance of saving your cat.

thecatneuterer · 12/07/2015 22:48

But the sooner you start treatment the more of a chance you have of things being OK. Just because he looks OK now it doesn't mean he is as it affects the liver and that doesn't show for around 36 hours.

Original poster
BeaufortBelle · 13/07/2015 01:59

At the emergency vet now waiting to see the vet. After the fuss and wailing in the car which is typical behaviour I feel he must be well in himself.

Thank you for advice. Will keep you updated. They are going to do a blood test and possibly IV fluids for two days.

OP posts:
Original poster
BeaufortBelle · 13/07/2015 02:32

The vet thinks the probability of him being poisoned is small. However there is no way of knowing until it would be too late. As a precaution he is going on an iv drip for 48 hours with blood tests before and after.

Hopefully all will be well. It might have been in any event but there is no way of knowing.

We are insured.

OP posts:
Original poster
BeaufortBelle · 13/07/2015 02:34

Oh and two /three leaves are a large amount!

OP posts:
stareatthetvscreen · 13/07/2015 02:56

phew hope he's ok - just coming on to say vet vet vet don't mess about highly toxic

FireflyGirl · 13/07/2015 06:45

Glad you got to the vet. Daft cat - how appealing must those leaves have been?

We were given a lovely planted lily as a gift after DS was born. We have 2 cats who are not the brightest. It went back out the door with the next visitor (who luckily is a green-fingered neighbour who has a house full of orchids!).

Although if I'd known how much of a nuisance the cats would make of themselves since the baby's been here, I'd have sent her home with the cats and kept the plant Grin

Fluffycloudland77 · 13/07/2015 06:50

I am so glad you went to the emergency vet. I hope he's ok.

Original poster
BeaufortBelle · 13/07/2015 12:33

He's looking good. Should be home tomorrow. This is why insurance is vital. The vet bill won't be far shy of £1000.

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 13/07/2015 12:40

Yes - you don't always know so you did quite the right thing. Thank Goodness you had insurance for him.

cozietoesie · 13/07/2015 12:44

Firefly

I had an artifical ficus tree with silk (Yes - silk) leaves which Seniorboy started to nosh in his younger days. There's no understanding them at times.

thecatneuterer · 13/07/2015 12:52

I'm glad you took him to the vet. Why did the vet think that he was unlikely to be poisoned? Surely eating lilies made it very likely indeed. Was it because he vomited them back up?

Original poster
BeaufortBelle · 13/07/2015 13:20

The vet thought he was quite fit and perky, had vomited quickly, and kept later food down. However, the vet's,advice was not to chance it because they can be perky and then go down hill quickly and then it is too late. Her view was out of 100 healthy cats 20 could die without treatment and you couldn't tell which ones. Hence the overnight stay.

Would I have paid that amount of money if not insured or short of money? I don't know - that would be the toughest call.

Thank you all for advice and support.

OP posts:
Original poster
BeaufortBelle · 14/07/2015 19:12

If his blood tests are fine at 10pm tonight I can go and collect him and bring him home. He is apparently very perky and eating well.

OP posts:
thecatneuterer · 14/07/2015 19:23

I'm very happy to hear it. Unfortunately I've seen quite a lot of lily-related death so I would never take chances.

And I hope you've binned the things?

Original poster
BeaufortBelle · 14/07/2015 20:53

We moved into our house nearly three weeks ago. The lillies were a welcome gift from our neighbour. Obvs she grows them - eek!

The pot has been thrown away and all lillies I the garden will be dug out before the cat flap is fitted.

Not sure how widely known this is. The local vet I rang told me to keep an eye overnight and take him in in the morning if I was still worried. I took him to our old vet 15 miles away who said straight away. I'll find a different local vet I think.

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 14/07/2015 21:02

It's not widely known I suspect. There's little you can do about planted lilies in other folks' gardens (and cats do seem to manage better with those for some reason) but it's commonplace to eg have lilies in bouquets of flowers. (They're relatively cheap, showy and long lasting.)

It's really quite sad to have to reject gifts of flowers and plants given by completely well-meaning people - but there's no other way to spread the message it seems.

thecatneuterer · 14/07/2015 23:22

You're ok with arum lilies in gardens incidentally. Well, apparently if a cat eats them it will get a blistered mouth, but nothing fatal. I've got quite a lot of arum lilies and no cat has ever attempted to eat one and of course the pollen isn't an issue.

googoodolly · 15/07/2015 11:33

How is he today?

Original poster
BeaufortBelle · 15/07/2015 14:10

Has spent hours nuzzled up to dd. Seemed fin this morning. Bounced on top of me at 6am as usual :)

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page