What is Citrus Poisoning?
Your cat may start to show signs of weakness, drooling, vomiting, and diarrhea after consuming a citrus fruit. His skin could become irritated and develop allergic dermatitis if he comes into contact with a citrus fruit.
Luckily, this condition is rarely fatal. Nevertheless, as soon as you notice any signs of citrus poisoning in your cat, you should still take him to the vet so that a professional can treat him.
Popular citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, or limes can be found in almost every home. But because these tart fruits contain psoralens and essential oil extracts like limonene and linalool, many people are unaware that they are toxic to cats. Youtube Play.
What should I do if my cat eats an orange?
Fortunately, cats don’t find oranges to be as repulsive as other foods because most of them don’t like the zesty scent of citrus fruits. If your cat does manage to nibble, sniff, or lick an orange, be aware of the following symptoms that indicate citrus poisoning:
- Vomiting or dry heaving
- Diarrhoea
- Increased salivation
- Lethargy
- Dermatitis
- Depression
- Muscle tremors
Take your cat to the veterinarian for a more thorough diagnosis as soon as you see the symptoms. Inform the veterinarian of the start of your symptoms and the circumstances leading up to your appointment (e g. your pet eating an orange).
Without this information, it is challenging to diagnose citrus poisoning because symptoms like weakness, gastrointestinal distress, and skin inflammations can be mistaken for other illnesses (e g. bacterial infections, chronic illness, etc. ). Your cat’s stomach cavity will most likely be examined by your veterinarian using an endoscope to confirm food poisoning.
Don’t forget that cats who just nibble on the rinds may experience severe reactions, so include it in your report. Additionally, a number of household products, including detergents, hand creams, and perfumes, contain extracts from essential oils that can result in citric toxicosis.
Treatment of Citrus Poisoning in Cats
As soon as citrus poisoning is diagnosed, treatment will start. Your cat will need to be bathed by the veterinarian if he has not eaten the citrus fruit but is exhibiting skin irritation as a result of coming into contact with it. This will help calm his irritated skin and eliminate any toxins. The veterinarian can apply a topical corticosteroid to relieve the inflammation and itching if he already has irritation patches. Once your cat has had a bath, make sure to keep him warm with blankets and towels until he has dried completely.
In the event that your cat eats the citrus fruit, the veterinarian might need to give them a 3% hydrogen peroxide oral solution to induce vomiting. After this course of treatment is complete, the veterinarian may also give the cat activated charcoal to help absorb any leftover toxins in its stomach. Alternatively, he could decide to perform a stomach wash known as a gastric lavage to remove any leftover toxins that might irritate his stomach.
Your cat may become dehydrated as a result of the frequent vomiting. The veterinarian will be checking on your cat all the time, and if he senses that the animal is getting dehydrated, he will set up an IV to give it fluids.