Act Quickly:
- If your cat ingested a cigarette butt within the past 30 minutes, induce vomiting by administering 1-2 teaspoons of 3% hydrogen peroxide orally. Caution: Do not induce vomiting if your cat is unconscious, having seizures, or has underlying health conditions.
- Contact your veterinarian immediately or take your cat to an emergency animal hospital.
Symptoms to Watch For:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Lethargy
- Difficulty breathing
- Seizures
- Tremors
- Cardiac arrhythmias
Treatment:
- Treatment will depend on the severity of nicotine poisoning.
- Your veterinarian may administer activated charcoal to absorb the nicotine in the stomach.
- Intravenous fluids may be given to hydrate your cat and flush out toxins.
- Anti-vomiting medication may be prescribed to control nausea and vomiting.
- If necessary, respiratory support may be provided to help your cat breathe.
- Monitoring of electrocardiogram (EKG) may be done to check for cardiac arrhythmias.
Prognosis:
- The prognosis depends on the amount of nicotine ingested and the time elapsed before treatment is received.
- With prompt treatment, most cats will make a full recovery.
- However, severe nicotine poisoning can be fatal.
Prevention:
- Keep cigarettes and cigarette butts out of reach of your cat.
- Use pet-proof containers or ashtrays.
- Supervise your cat when they are outside.
The article was created by AI.
We received responses from Google Gemini to the following questions.
My cat ate an “cigarette butt”. What should I do? Answers should be in English.
357