Case Of The Month

This month’s case involves a curious young kitten named Milo and a seemingly harmless floral arrangement.  Milo had been snacking on some flowers at home- much like most kitties, flowers and houseplants are a favorite treat!  What his mom wasn’t aware of was that the lilies he was ingesting were highly toxic.  Within only a few hours of ingestion of the lily plant, your cat may vomit, become lethargic or develop a lack of appetite. These signs continue and worsen as kidney damage progresses. Without prompt and proper treatment by a veterinarian, your cat could develop kidney failure in 36 to 72 hours. If you are a cat owner, you should remove lilies from your cat's reach!  All parts of the lily plant are considered toxic to your cat.  We encourage you to consider safer alternatives such as orchids, daisies, or violets. 

Milo was extremely lucky that his mom noticed him acting sick.  She brought him in to see Dr. Hindman and our medical staff.  Dr. Hindman ran some diagnostic bloodwork in order to gauge the level of Milo’s kidney impairment.  Unfortunately, Milo’s kidney enzymes were abnormally elevated.  She explained to Milo’s mom how serious it could be if he was left untreated for the lily ingestion and discussed treatment options.  Dr. Hindman decided that hospitalizing Milo and starting intravenous fluid therapy was the best course of action to ensure that he had the best chance for recovery.  His mom was in complete agreement. 

Not only was he quite the ham, but he was a patient kitty as our medical staff checked on him throughout the six days he stayed with us.  As you can see above, Milo is a handsome boy, even while hospitalized for his treatments!  His prognosis was guarded at best to start, but after intensive care here at the clinic, we received some great news from our lab; Milo’s kidney values returned to normal, and we were able to send him home to his very relieved mom for some much needed quality time.  He was transitioned to a kidney supportive prescription diet, and Dr. Hindman will continue to monitor his kidney values for the next few months through periodic bloodwork.  We are all very happy to know that Milo has a bright future ahead.  As we approach Mother’s Day, remember- think of safe varieties of flowers to give mom if she has a kitty at home!