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Activated Charcoal in Cats
What is Activated Charcoal?
Activated charcoal is a liquid medication by mouth, used to try and prevent or slow the absorption of a toxin from the stomach. It is not an antidote as such, but acts to bind to certain toxins so they stay within the gut, rather than pass across the gut wall into the bloodstream. This lowers the absorption of poison into the blood with the aim of reducing organ damage .
Activated charcoal is made from finely ground charcoal and available over the counter and by prescription. It is essential to give the activated charcoal immediately, or very soon after ingestion of the toxin, in order to be of benefit.
Activated Charcoal Procedure in Cats
When a cat ingests a toxin, the first course of action should be to contact the vet for advice. In almost all cases where the cat ate the toxicant recently, it's desirable to induce vomiting to void it from the stomach. Then activated charcoal may be given to mop up any toxicant left lining the gut. However, the best course of action depends on what the cat ate, so professional assessment is essential.
In addition, the vet will assess if the cat is dehydrated or not. There is an increased risk of high blood sodium levels if activated charcoal is given to severely dehydrated cats. In the latter circumstances the vet will put the cat on intravenous fluids.
Activated charcoal is given by mouth. Since most cats are fussy about food, it is unlikely they will voluntarily eat charcoal mixed in a feed. Instead, it may be slowly syringed into the cat's mouth giving her a chance to swallow each mouthful. If, however, the cat is semi-conscious, then this must not be done as there is a risk of inhaling the liquid charcoal into the lungs. Should this be the case the vet may pass a stomach tube, to give the medication directly into the stomach.
Repeat doses may be necessary every 4 to 8 hours, for 24 hours or so, depending on how much toxicant the cat ingested.
Efficacy of Activated Charcoal in Cats
It should be remembered that activated charcoal is not an antidote, but a means of reducing absorption of a toxin. How effective it is depends on the type and amount of poison ingested. In some cases, drugs can undergo 'recycling' by the liver, in which case continued doses are necessary until the drug has been completely eliminated from the body.
The ultimate aim of administering activated charcoal is to lessen the effects of poisoning. To this end, it may be appropriate to make the cat vomit within two hours of ingesting the poison. Dehydrated patients also benefit from intravenous fluids. Wherever a specific antidote exist then it is highly desirable to use it.
Activated Charcoal Recovery in Cats
Activated charcoal in itself is fairly inert and administration is not directly linked to side effects. In a well-hydrated cat the most noticeable effect will be black feces for a day or two afterward.
However, if some toxicant passed into the bloodstream the cat may suffer ill effects as a result. This could include complications such as gastric ulcers, liver failure, or kidney damage.
Cost of Activated Charcoal in Cats
Activated charcoal is relatively inexpensive to purchase, and can be bought over the pharmacy counter for as little as $10. What is more costly is the veterinary consultation to assess the patient, hospitalization fees, and nursing fees for regular administration of the activated charcoal throughout the night if necessary. Thus, simple cases may be relatively inexpensive, and cost $40 -50 to treat. However, a complex poisoning could result in a bill for many hundreds of dollars, should bloods, intravenous fluids, and overnight care be needed.
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Cat Activated Charcoal Considerations
As mentioned already, the patient should be fully hydrated before activated charcoal is administered. In addition, it must be syringed into the mouth slowly and with great care, so the cat gets a chance to swallow between mouthfuls. This is to reduce the risk of the cat inhaling charcoal down into the lungs where it could cause an aspiration pneumonia, a potentially life-threatening condition.
In patients that are not fully conscious, the risk of inhaling them medication is too great and it's best to administer it via a stomach tube. Another option is to pass a intratracheal tube and inflate the cuff, so the airway is completely protected and no charcoal can pass down into the lungs.
Activated Charcoal Prevention in Cats
Preventing the need to administer activated charcoal is a matter of protecting the cat from toxins. This means keeping potential poisons safely out of the cat's reach. Medications (including human ones) should be kept in a closeable cabinet, whilst cleaning products, insecticides, and weedkillers, should all be in cupboards with safety latches. Remember, cats are agile jumpers and merely assuming a box of slug pellets is safe on a high shelf in the garage is not sufficient precaution.
In addition, accidental poisoning by overdosing a prescribed medication or administering a human medicine to a cat is surprisingly common. When medicating a cat read the label twice and make sure you are completely clear as to the recommended dose. If in doubt, a quick call to the vet's office to double check could save your cat's life.
Activated Charcoal Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
Feline
Jeff
7 Years
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0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Normal
My cat ate part of day lily leaf about 24 hrs ago. I tried to induce vomiting but it did not work. I administered activated charcoal today and mixed with wet food. He has showed no signs of poisoning. He is eating, drinking, and urinanting properly. I am going to continue to administer the acivated charcoal for the next couple days. I checked hydration and felt kidneys for any abnormalities. Everything seems normal. How long does it typically take to show signs of lily poisoning in cats? I planned on bringing him for bloodwork but I don’t see a need for IV fluids or treatment for poisoning at this time as he shows no symptoms. Do you think he’ll be ok at this point?
June 29, 2018
0 Recommendations
Just because you don’t see any symptoms doesn’t mean that there is no damage being done to the kidneys, it takes around five days (three to six day range) to see symptoms of kidney failure; giving activated charcoal know would be unrewarding. Regardless of your thoughts you should visit a Veterinarian immediately for supportive and symptomatic care to reduce the severity of a poisoning event. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/day-lily/
June 30, 2018
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Calico
Arlo
8 Months
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My pet has the following symptoms:
Gagg
Gagg Drooling
My cat ingested some De flea spray for Dogs. I don’t have enough money to go to the vet what can I do at home. She is trying to eat but keeps gagging. She still purrs
June 23, 2018
0 Recommendations
Flea control products designed for dogs are toxic for cats, it is important to have rinsed out the mouth immediately and to ensure that Arlo is comfortable; there is no cure for this, only supportive and symptomatic care. If money is tight I would recommend calling the manufacturer for product specific advice, but I would also recommend you visit your Veterinarian to be on the safe side regardless of cost. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
June 24, 2018
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Persian
jack and bauer
11 Years
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My pet has the following symptoms:
Vomiting
)ur two felines have possibly poisoned themselves via cigarette butts--initially vomit(explosive visually and sound)and then little of the usual eating---much gagging-our vet hydrated both over this five day episode with doses of cerenia. now one cat is eating and frisky and seemingly back to normal the other continues to be dazed, listless and out-of sorts---.I took him in(they are both males 11+ yrs; 8 and 13 pds) to the vet today and activated charcoal detoxicant and cerenia were administered--does any of this seem proper protocal--we love them so and jack and bauer would appreciate your kindly input to there lurid situation-thanks,lane
June 5, 2018
0 Recommendations
Cigarette butts are the worst as they are concentrated with all the tar and nicotine from the cigarette; managing the symptoms can be difficult and may take some time. There is no specific treatment for nicotine poisoning, but activated charcoal (normally more effective immediately after ingestion) and fluid therapy are the mainstay of treatment; the Cerenia will be to control any vomiting. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
June 6, 2018
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Orange tabby
Carl Zethraus
10 Months
1 found this helpful
1 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Ate Lilly
My cat ate a part of a lily leaves. And I was reading that activated charcoal would help get it out. I was wondering how much I need to give my cat he’s about 8 pounds
June 1, 2018
1 Recommendations
The recommended dosage for activated charcoal is around 1-3g/kg or 0.5-1.5g/lb; you should monitor Carl for the time being and if any symptoms listed on this page present you should visit your Veterinarian immediately, also remove any toxic plants from your household. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
www.vspn.org/library/misc/vspn_m01158.htm
June 2, 2018
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Domestic Short haired
Jasper
9 Years
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0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
None
Cat nibbled on the leaf of a lily about two hours ago. Most likely he did not ingest. Cat is showing no unusual signs or symptoms. Called the vet, they said to watch cats for any unusual signs, but did not ask me to bring him in for immediate treatment, only to have him brought in in two days for bloodwork. Does this sound right?
May 23, 2018
0 Recommendations
Lilies are toxic to cats and no cat owner should have them in their home; it is best to have vomiting induced by your Veterinarian to be on the safe side since we don’t know how much has been consumed. Consider that even the water which lilies stand in is also toxic. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
May 23, 2018
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european
Tazz
6 Months
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My pet has the following symptoms:
Tired
My 6 month old kitten had lily pollen all around his mouth and paws , I looked online because O was curious about what the lily could potentially do to him. After reading one article saying that Lilies are fatal to cats I immediately called my vet and took him straight there (40 mins later we arrived as I live far from a vets) . When we arrived the vets took him and tried administering fluids through an IV but failed as he was agressive towards them so they injected the fluids under his skin but they did manage to give him activated charcoal and kept him over night.
In the morning they told us to pick him up as he was stressed and agressive and they couldnt do anything more for him.
We have now been home for 7 hours , he has been eating and drinking, he slept for a long while and then started jumping around and playing with his toys.
I have read that for a full recovery they need to be on an agressive IV drip for at least 48hours ... that didnt happen.
Although he is acting a bit more like himself, I am still skeptic about his recovery
He was at the vets for a total of 16 hours.
I have removed the lilies, cleaned thoroughly and washed his toys and bed in case of pollen contamination.
Do I need to look out still or is he in the clear ?
I think he might be quite tired from having a stressful night but other than that he seems better
