“Crazy” Cat Owners, Be Careful
I got this email today from Kristin, who reminds People Like Us to keep our meds properly stored:
My cat, Kiki, apparently found a stray Zoloft pill on the floor or something…no idea how/where/etc. and he ALMOST died from it! The vet thinks he had serotonin syndrome. He was practically in a coma and his body was going crazy. They had to give him activated charcoal and a bunch of other stuff. He couldn’t even move, walk or meow for days! By some miracle he was saved and he is back to his old self!
Anyway, I thought maybe you could remind your readers to be aware of their pills and if their pets should happen to get into something take them to the vet right away and TELL THE VET that the pills might be the problem! My vet didn’t even think to ask if there were SSRIs in the house until I mentioned it. Knowing about the pills determined the whole course of treatment. Without that my cat probably would have died and no one would have known why!!!
And, yes, my cat and I both lost a few years off of our lives with this ordeal!!!
[Photo of my beloved cat Augie, who's gone now due to pancreatic disease.]
liz | 11:49 AM | Uncategorized
I remember when you used to write about Augie all those years ago!
Augie is so cute! What breed is he?
My husband is always scouring the floor for pills, I have a hard time with the caps and sometimes they all go flying and I find most but he finds what I have not. I would be suicidal if I lost a pet because of my own inability to keep track of my meds. Augie was very very pretty, I’m sorry for your loss.
I had a puppy eat one of my prozacs or trazedones years ago (can’t recall which). Scary. He was okay, thank goodness, but I’ve been very careful ever since.
I take daily doses of Wellbutrin, lithium, and clonazepam for morning depression and also for jolly old bipolar, and I have to be incredibly careful that pills don’t fall on the floor. We have two cats who probably would avoid the pills (thus I’m amazed, by the way, that cat ate one), but also one dog who will eat anything that isn’t on a high shelf. You’ve reminded me not to let up.
Hi,
Can I use the photo of Liz’s cat for my blog called Serotonin Syndromes?
Reply: