Can I give paracetamol to my cat?

La self medication is a dangerous habit that puts human health at risk and that unfortunately some owners have also moved their pets, making this practice even more dangerous for those animals that live with us, especially if it is done with human medicines.

We know that cats, despite their free and independent nature, are also susceptible to suffer numerous pathologies that the owner can clearly perceive by various symptoms and also changes in behavior.

It is at this time when we can wrongly go to medicate our cat, to avoid any type of accident, in this article, we respond to a daily question: Can I give paracetamol to my cat?

What is paracetamol?

Humans are so used to the practice of self medication that on many occasions we do not know the nature of habitual drugs, as well as its indications and its mechanism of action, which is dangerous for us and even more so for our pets. Therefore, before evaluating the effects of paracetamol on felines, we will briefly explain what type of drug is this.

Paracetamol belongs to the pharmacological group of NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs), acts mainly as anti-inflammatory decreasing the synthesis of substances that intervene in the chain of inflammation (prostaglandins) but is also an excellent antipyretic (decreases body temperature in case of fever).

In humans paracetamol is toxic in doses that exceed the maximum recommended and it is especially harmful to the liver, the main body in charge of neutralizing the toxins that come from the drug so that later we can expel them. The high and repeated consumption of paracetamol in humans can cause irreversible damage to the liver.

Can I give paracetamol to my cat?

Self-medicating our cat with paracetamol results in intoxicate and put at risk the life of our pet. Paracetamol is one of the drugs prohibited for dogs, however, the sensitivity of cats to paracetamol is much higher and they begin to show symptoms of poisoning between 3 and 12 hours after ingestion of the drug.

Cats can not properly metabolize the drug and this results in the death of hepatocytes or liver cells, an organ that is also vital for our pets, so much so that a third of animals poisoned by paracetamol just dying between the 24- 72 hours later.

What if my cat has taken acetaminophen by accident?

If your cat has accidentally ingested paracetamol you will observe the following symptom:

• Weakness
• Depression
• Vomiting
• Tachycardia
• Respiratory difficulty
• Purple / bluish color of mucous membranes
• Excessive salivation
• Seizures

In this case you must go urgently to the vet, who will administer a treatment aimed at reducing the absorption of paracetamol, facilitate its elimination and restore vital signs.

In our article on poisoning in cats and first aid we have already talked about this aspect and the importance of avoiding offering human medicines to our pets.

Help us to end pet self-medication

Self-medicating our pets, even with veterinary drugs, involves multiple risks, which are even greater when this self-medication is done with drugs intended for human consumption.

To avoid accidents that could cost your pet’s life, Become aware, go to the vet whenever necessary and do not administer any drug that has not been prescribed by the appropriate professional.

Discover in the different health problems of cats to inform you about a problem that you observe. Of course, remember that the veterinarian is the only one who must give you a diagnosis and therefore a recommended treatment.

This article is merely informative, in .com we do not have the faculty to prescribe veterinary treatments or make any kind of diagnosis. We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian in case of any type of condition or discomfort.

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