{"id":440375,"date":"2023-11-15T14:54:31","date_gmt":"2023-11-15T19:54:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.catster.com\/?p=440375"},"modified":"2024-07-24T03:52:57","modified_gmt":"2024-07-24T07:52:57","slug":"garlic-toxicity-in-cats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.catster.com\/nutrition\/garlic-toxicity-in-cats\/","title":{"rendered":"Garlic Toxicity in Cats: Vet-Approved Signs, Care Tips & FAQ"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n <\/span>\n \nGarlic Toxicity Overview<\/a>
\nSigns<\/a>
\nCare Tips<\/a>
\nFrequently Asked Questions<\/a>
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Did you know that most bulbed plants are toxic to cats?1<\/sup><\/a> Many of the flowers in your garden, including lilies, are toxic to pets. Your spice rack is also a danger zone for your curious kitty because of garlic and onion seasonings. As it turns out, this is no coincidence. Both garlic and onion belong to the family Allium, a huge classification of bulbed plants that are mostly poisonous to pets, and that used\u00a0 to be part of the lily family before Allium plants were given their own family.<\/p>\n

Whether your cat likes to poke their head in the kitchen or dig around in the garden, you’ll need to watch them closely and keep garlic out of their reach. If they ingest garlic, they’re at risk of garlic toxicity, a potentially fatal condition that requires immediate medical care. This article will explore more about garlic toxicity for cats.\"divider<\/p>\n

What Is Garlic Toxicity?<\/h2>\n

Garlic toxicity occurs when a cat has eaten too much garlic. There isn’t an established amount of garlic known to be safe for cats, so you should avoid giving it to them entirely.<\/p>\n

Garlic causes digestive upset in cats, but unfortunately, it doesn’t stop there. The compound sodium n-propyl thiosulfate causes garlic toxicity in cats. Sodium n-propyl thiosulfate actually destroys their red blood cells by making them weak and breaking them down, which can eventually make a cat anemic. If a large amount of red cells are damaged in a short amount of time, this can be difficult for the body to deal with.<\/p>\n

Most times if our pets eat something they shouldn’t, we often watch and wait to see how they feel to determine if medical intervention is necessary. While there are times that this might be prudent advice, potential garlic poisoning isn’t one of them. Garlic is five times as toxic as onion and can quickly lead to death. You should take your cat to the vet immediately if you suspect they’ve eaten even a hint of a garlic plant, a pinch of seasoning, or a bite of minced garlic. All forms of garlic are toxic, but minced garlic is the worst because it’s super concentrated. Take note of how much they’ve eaten and get your cat to the vet.<\/p>\n

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What Are the Signs of Garlic Toxicity?<\/h2>\n

Again, you don’t want to wait for signs of garlic toxicity to start showing before you take your cat to the veterinary hospital. Signs can take up to a few days to appear, and by the time they do, garlic’s toxic compound has had time to destroy your cat’s red blood cells. If your cat is severely anemic by the time they receive medical care, their prognosis is more likely to be poor than if your vet treats them as soon as they ingest the toxin.<\/p>\n

Try to get your cat to the vet within a couple of hours of ingesting garlic so that they can safely induce vomiting before the toxins have a chance to fully travel through their system. Don’t try to induce vomiting at home, however. Compounds that have previously been used to induce vomiting at home, can hurt their tummy, so you should only let your vet induce vomiting.<\/p>\n

But what if you didn’t catch your cat eating garlic? If your cat is sick and you’re suspecting garlic poisoning, be on the lookout for these signs:<\/p>\n

Garlic Toxicity Signs<\/div>
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