With houseplants, you can certainly make your indoor space a little more engrossing. Then you might know that some plants aren’t pet-friendly, especially if you’ve grown houseplants for years.
As widely known as Snake Plant, Sansevieria trifasciata holds some potential toxicity levels that could be harmful to the well-being of your cat or canine companion. You may also find this perennial at other gardening stores if you have not yet seen it:
- Magic Sword
- Mother-in-law’s tongue
- Bowstring Hemp
- Magic Sword
- Golden Bird’s Nest
From the Asparagaceae family, this genus has a bunch of widely adopted species that have distinctly different characteristics. All of these plants including Moonshine or Cylindrical Snake Plants have sap on the leaves that has an overwhelmingly high level of toxicity. This guide will cover all that you need to know about Snake Plant poisoning in cats and what the best remedies for cat Snake Plant poisoning are. Let’s find out by reading on.
Which Parts are Toxic to Cats?
Sansevieria trifasciata mainly contains two toxic elements—saponins and organic acids, which are used for photosynthesis. The saponins are meant to protect the plant against dangerous microbes and fungi, but they cause the plant to be toxic when consumed by a cat or dog. There is a high concentration of toxic elements near the roots and leaves of the Snake plant. Cats are more likely to experience mild skin irritation since their bodies are covered in fur than humans are who come into contact with sap from the leaves.
Cats ingest the sap or plant parts like the leaves most commonly, so the effects are severe. Your cat will probably be able to reach Snake Plants since they are typically grown in containers indoors. Once the first attempt is made, your pet will notice a burning sensation in the mouth, so you’ll need to be eagle-eyed to spot the symptom and administer treatment before the poisoning becomes grave.
Common Snake Plant Poisoning Symptoms in Cats
Having an accurate diagnosis is crucial since it lets you know what kind of treatment you need for your cat’s illness. When your cat is poisoned by Snake Plants, one of the major symptoms your cat will begin to experience is vomiting. In addition to these symptoms, you’ll probably be afflicted by diarrhea, so you’ll need to be alert so you can watch out for both at the same time. In addition to depressive signs, your cat may also display poor eating habits. You should contact your vet if you notice any of these symptoms in your cat so it can be diagnosed as soon as possible.
How to Treat Snake Plant Poisoning in Cats
If you suspect that your cat is suffering from Snake Plant poisoning, your veterinarian can perform the necessary tests in order to verify such a condition. After conducting urinalysis and blood tests on your cat, you will be able to determine its exact levels of toxic elements. Based on the results of the urinalysis test, the vet can make a determination whether the cat’s kidneys are in danger of suffering any dire health issues. In addition to your cat’s blood pressure and temperature, measuring the snake plant’s overall health status can help determine how healthy it is.
Medical treatment is available for conditions like dehydration caused by excessive vomiting or diarrhea. Additionally, vomiting is one of those first-aid measures that will protect your pet from further digestion. In order to induce your cat to vomit, you can use water to help it get rid of indigestible plant matter in the mouth and fed it with a teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide to induce the urge to release anything nondigestible. For your cat who might be experiencing some gastrointestinal upsets, you can treat the condition by giving it an injection of Kapectolin (1 to 2 ml/kg) up to four times per day until he is fully recovered.
You’d treat side effects caused by your dog ingestion of Sansevieria trifasciata through microdoses of Sucralfate. Although it’s commonly used on dogs who weigh more than 60lbs, we recommend feeding your dog with 0.5g every 6 to 8 hours if it weighs less. For cats, about 0.25g every 6-8 hours would work fine. This will help keep stomach upsets under control and help your cat recover in less than 2 days.
How to Protect Your Cat from Snake Plant Poisoning
However, it is unlikely that Snake plant could adversely affect your cat’s basic health condition, nor is its toxicity level as high as that of toxin-producing plants. Since the sap is usually bitter, you don’t have to worry about your cat ingesting too much of it. Your cat will disregard this kind of houseplant, thus causing it to be more tolerant of its presence. Your cat might be fascinated with the plant, but you can’t certainly guarantee that he’ll not play around it. So you might consider hanging the plant out of reach. Locate an area of your house that your cat does not visit often.
Please wear protective gear and wash your hands thoroughly after every routine maintenance exercise when pruning or plucking off a few leaves. You may want to grow your Snake plant entirely outdoors if you want to make sure that your cat’s access to it is completely controlled. Seek treatment as soon as possible if you suspect your pet has been exposed to poisonous sap from the Snake plant. Failure to take such action could cause your cat to suffer from detrimental health issues.
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