Can you Give your Cat Paracetamol?
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Self-medicating is a dangerous habit that can endanger human health, and unfortunately some owners have also started to medicate their pets themselves. This is very dangerous for the animals, especially if done with human medicine.
We know that cats, despite being free and independent, are also susceptible to many diseases that the owner can clearly spot through various symptoms and behavioral changes.
It is at this time when you can go and mistakenly self-medicate your cat, so to avoid any kind of accident, read this AnimalWised article which will answer the common question: Can you give your cat paracetamol?
Contents
What is paracetamol?
Humans are so accustomed to the practice of self-medicating that on numerous occasions we don't know the effects of common drugs nor its symptoms or how they work, which is dangerous for us and even more so for our pets. Therefore, before assessing the effects of paracetamol on cats, we will briefly explain what type of drug is paracetamol.
Paracetamol belongs to the pharmacological group of NSAIDs, that is, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. It acts mainly as an anti-inflammatory, decreasing the synthesis of substances involved in the chain reaction of inflammation - prostaglandins - but is also an excellent antipyretic; it lowers body temperature in case of fever.
In humans, paracetamol is toxic in doses exceeding the recommended maximum and is particularly harmful to the liver, the part of the body that neutralizes the toxins in the drug so we can ultimately expel them. Large and repeated consumption of paracetamol can cause irreversible liver damage in humans.
Can you give your cat paracetamol?
Self-medicating your cat with paracetamol can result in intoxicating and endangering the life of your pet. Paracetamol is one of the banned drugs for dogs; however, a cat's sensitivity to paracetamol is much higher. It can begin to show symptoms of intoxication between 3 to 12 hours after ingesting the drug.
Cats cannot metabolize the drug properly so this results in the death of hepatocytes or liver cells. The liver is vital for your pet's organism, so much so that one third of animals poisoned by paracetamol die between 24- 72 hours.
What if your cat has accidentally taken paracetamol?
If your cat has accidentally ingested paracetamol, you may observe the following symptoms:
- Weakness
- Depression
- Vomiting
- Tachycardia
- Breathing difficulties
- Purple / bluish mucous
- Excessive salivation
- Seizures
If this is the case, you should urgently go to the vet who will administer a specific treatment to decrease the absorption of paracetamol. This will help to eliminate it and restore vital signs.
In our article on poisoning in cats and first aid we have talked about this and the importance of not giving your pets human medicines.
Do not medicate your pets yourself
Medicating your pets on your own, even with veterinary drugs, involves many risks. These are much higher when these drugs are intended for human consumption.
To avoid accidents that could cost the life of your pet, be aware and go to the vet whenever is necessary. Don't give your pet any drug that hasn't been prescribed by the appropriate professional.
Discover at AnimalWised the different health problems of cats to inform yourself of any problems that you may spot. Just remember that a vet is the only one that should give a diagnosis and the appropriate treatment.
This article is purely informative. AnimalWised does not have the authority to prescribe any veterinary treatment or create a diagnosis. We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian if they are suffering from any condition or pain.
If you want to read similar articles to Can you Give your Cat Paracetamol?, we recommend you visit our Prevention category.
