Are Calla Lily Poisonous to Cats or Dogs

Calla lilies have beautiful and unique flowers. The colors of the flowers come in white, yellow, purple and some other colors. These plants can be decorative plants for your house where you are able to put them in a vase inside your home. However, even though these plants are able to be put in your house, they are poisonous for your pets.

Calla Lily Is Poisonous to Cats of Dogs

If you have pets such as cats or dogs at your house, it is better for you to put your calla lilies at a safe place where they cannot be reached by your pets. It is because calla lilies are poisonous for your cats or dogs. All parts of calla lilies have a chemical named insoluble calcium oxalates. The bulbs of the plants have the highest concentration of these toxic crystals.

Calcium oxalate crystals that contained are released from the calla lily and then it will penetrate the tissue of the cat’s mouth, throat and gastrointestinal tract if your cat bites the calla lily plant. As a result, it can make these areas get pain and irritation. After your pet bitesand ingest the plant matter, the cat will drool, vomit and have a lack of appetite as explained on the Pet Poison Helpline which is also explained again on SFGATE.

Symptoms of Calla Lily Poisoning in Cats

Usually, when a calla lily is poisoning your cat, the symptoms will happen immediately after your cat consumes the calla lily. According to Wag Walking, here are the symptoms which signify that your cat is suffering from calla lily poison.

• You will find that your cat  vomits.
• Your cat drools excessively.
• Your cat paws at the mouth.
• Your cat shakes its head or shows other signs of pain.
• Your cat has a lack of appetite.
• Your cat suffers from ulceration of the mouth.
• Your cat experiences intense oral and throat pain.
• Your cat may also have swelling in its throat in response to irritation.

Cause of Calla Lily Poisoning in Cats

As explained earlier, calla lilies have toxic compounds named insoluble calcium oxalates. These crystals are released when your pet bites the part of calla lily. Then, the compounds will penetrate the soft tissue of the mouth, throat and GI tract of your pet and then it will cause intense pain and irritation.

It is important for you to note that all parts of calla lily are poisonous. However, the highest concentrations of the poison can be found in the bulb or rootstock area.

For your information calla lily poisoning will not cause kidney or renal failure. And calla lilies are not true lilies and they are not in the same family as stargazer, fire or other types of lilies. You have to differentiate calla lily poisoning from lily poisoning. Even though poisoning from this plant is very uncomfortable for your pets like cats and dogs, this plant will not cause your pets to die.

Diagnosis of Calla Poisoning in Cats

According to Wag Walking, diagnosis of calla lily poisoning in your cat starts with a thorough physical exam in the office of your veterinarian. The mouth of your cat will be examined by your vet for signs of irritation. Depending on the level of discomfort of your cat, your cat may be given a mild sedative to permit the vet to do the exam.

If there is a severe reaction, your vet may view the tissues of the throat of your cat where the vet will place a small, specialized camera into the mouth of your cat and then down the throat.

When you take your cat to the vet, it is better for you to provide a thorough physical and medical history of your cat and also if you see your cat chewing on any garden plants, you can take a sample of that plant. If you take the sample, make sure that it is big enough so that your vet can identify easily which species of plant that your cat eats. As a result, it will be easier for the vet to direct the appropriate course of treatment.

Treatment for Cats Poisoned by Calla Lily

As explained on Wag Walking, treatment of calla lily poisoning in your cat will be able to overcome the symptoms and the underlying cause. First, your vet will address any life-threatening symptoms. For some cats, you may see that the irritation that they experience from calla lily is severe so that it causes the tissues of their mouth and airways to swell. As a result, your cat has difficulty drinking, eating and breath. If it happens, your vet will give anti-inflammatory drugs to your cat. It will alleviate the swelling. Your vet may also give drugs which can open up the airway passages and the vet may also give injections of pain medication.

Usually, cats seldom ingest large quantities of calla lily plants. So, it is not needed to force your cat to vomit. For rinsing away any remaining crystals, your vet usually will do oral, throat, and stomach lavage of your cat. Your vet will also squirt saline into the mouth of your cat through a needleless syringe and permit the fluid to drain out of its mouth. Your vet will do this repeatedly to ease the reaction of your cat.

Other Poisonous Plants for Your Pets

Calla lily is not the only poisonous plant for your cats. There are other plants which are also poisonous for your pets so if you have these plants at your home, you have to be careful and make sure that you put them in an area which cannot be reached by your pets.

Here are other poisonous plants for your cats according to Pet Care Advisors.

Azaleas

Daffodils

Aloe vera

Amaryllis

Chrysanthemum

English ivy

Monstera Deliciosa

Tulips

Pothos

Snake plants

Cyclamen

Jade plants

Mistletoe

Peace lily

Holly

Begonia

Oleander

Jade plants

Sago palm

Poinsettias

And here are the other poisonous plants for your dog according to Pure Pet Food.

Azaleas

Daffodils

Hyacinths

Tulips

Horse chestnuts

Wild mushrooms

Holly

Ivy

Mistletoe

Acorns

Cherry trees (the fruit is safe.)

Yew

Aloe vera