Patty & Champ
Member Since 2011
I usually get up around 4 a.m. on weekdays because of work and I'll give Champ a spoonful of zero carb food (Fancy Feast Shrimp and Fish) to tide him over until feed-and-shoot time at 7:00. On Friday, I didn't have to get up until 6:00 so, of course, Champ was at my bedroom door yelling at me to get up and give him his snack. I walked into the kitchen to do my usual routine of starting the coffee so it will be done after I feed, shoot, and brush my teeth. As I turned from making coffee toward the other end of the kitchen where cat's "diabetes and feeding center" are located, I noticed him on the kitchen table, chewing on a leaf from a lily that my daughter had received from her cousin a couple days previously when she graduated from college. At the time I put the lilies, along with the roses I had gotten her, in a vase, I thought to myself, "I think I've heard that lilies are poisonous to cats. I better check that out." Then, because of lack of sleep and being pulled in a thousand directions with work and family visiting in town, I forgot to check it out. As soon as I saw Champ chewing on the leaf, I remembered. I gave him his snack and then went to my computer and goggled "Are lilies poisonous to cats." Well, guess what? Not only are they poisonous, but every part of the lily is highly toxic, including the pollen which could have been falling on the tabletop for him to lick off his feet when he cleaned himself. I then looked up how to make a cat throw up. I gave him three teaspoons of hydrogen peroxide using a medicine dropper and waited. Sure enough, he threw up. I found pieces of plant material in it, but how was I to know if he would be alright. The thing with lily poisoning is that as soon as they show symptoms, it's almost impossible to save them. I called the vet's office as soon as they opened at 8:00 and they told me I have to take him in and have him admitted. I explained that with my daughter's graduation, Christmas, and the requirement I purchase health insurance for myself all coming at the same time, I HAVE NO MONEY. My vet said Champ HAD to be admitted and he would set up a payment plan for me. They gave me the printed estimate yesterday and it's $1,200. It's going to take me a year to pay this off!! Champ has been going to this vet office since I got him as a rescue when he was a baby so I'm glad they did this for me. I visited Champ last night, right before they closed up, and he was scared, but at least I knew he was where he needed to be. This vet office isn't staffed 24 hours a day, but since Champ isn't critical, just on continuous fluids and having his vitals and labs checked throughout the day, I felt okay with it. I had them decrease his insulin from 1.5 units twice a day to 1 unit because I know they won't check his BG's as often as I would throughout the day and not at all at night. I gave them his food so they won't feed him anything else and asked them to space out his feedings, but last night they just gave him the entire can at one time and, of course, Champ ate the whole thing at once. He's going to be at the vet's until Monday morning when I should be able to pick him up. From what the vet told me, when a cat ingests any little bit of a lily, they will get sick. If not treated, they will die. It's that toxic. Their kidneys and pancreas will shut down. Because Champ is diabetic, it is more imperative that he be treated because his kidneys and pancreas are already compromised. 90% of cats with lily poisoning will see an elevation in their creatinine levels and then it will start to decrease, which means they will be fine. The other 10% don't make it. I'm PRAYING Champ is in the 90%. His creatinine has risen, though not alarming as of yet (I'll get today's lab results soon), so we'll be watching to see if it comes back down. Thankfully, he just had his blood work done in May so we have a current reference point. Any and all prayers for my baby, Champ, would be much appreciated.
