Is aloe vera toxic to cats?

One of the main characteristics of the cat is its independent character and explorer, partly because the cat is the domesticated hunter par excellence, hence the people who choose to share their home with a feline must take extreme precautions to maintain the health of the cat. your pet.

One of the main dangers facing our feline are plants toxic to cats because this animal, like dogs, tends to eat plants to purify their bodies or to entertain, as is the case with catnip .

In this article we answer an issue that often confuses many owners, Is aloe vera toxic to cats?

The juice that is present inside the stems of aloe vera is very rich in saponins, among other substances. Saponins are plant compounds that mainly have antiseptic and antibacterial propertiesIn addition, they favor the hydration of the skin, cleaning it deeply and reaching even the deepest layers.

We can find numerous informative sources where the toxicity of aloe vera for cats is related to its high content in saponins, but this can not be accurate since one of the most used remedies by holistic veterinarians is precisely this plant, both in dogs and cats.

Therefore, to address this issue deeply the first step is to discard all that information that strongly indicates that aloe vera is toxic to cats.

Is any part of aloe vera toxic to cats?

The pulp of aloe vera is the part of the plant that is used for medicinal purposes, both in human health and in veterinary health and that does not present any risk of toxicity if it is administered properly.

It is not toxic for cats but yes it can cause diarrhea if they take the pulp closest to the bark or if they take the bark itself. But in this case we are not talking about deadly toxicity or compromising the health status of our pet, but an excessive laxative effect that can cause diarrhea.

In addition, in the case of diarrhea in cats caused by the ingestion of aloe vera bark, we must know that the intestinal transit is regulated shortly after having stopped taking the plant, therefore, there is no danger.

In other cases, if the cat is a puppy, it may be that by ingesting the aloe vera bark, a small topical wound has been caused by the rough and thorny parts of the plant, but in any case, no toxic reactions are observed.

We can conclude that aloe vera is not toxic for cats, but the consumption of the bark and the juice next to it should be avoided since it is excessively laxative.

Topical or oral route?

Aloe vera is an excellent natural remedy for cats since it has numerous beneficial properties and can be used to treat various disorders in a natural way, but it is also used in healthy cats precisely to keep our pet healthy and make it more resistant to multiple diseases.

When we want to treat topical conditions we can apply aloe vera locally on the skin, but when we are dealing with a disorder that affects the entire organism of our pet, then we must apply aloe vera juice orally.

We reiterate that aloe vera is not toxic for cats, whether we apply it externally or internally. However, if the administration is carried out orally we must know the dose, in this case, it is 1 daily milliliter of aloe vera juice per kilo of body weight.

Can I give my cat aloe vera juice of its own cultivation?

If we have space to grow our own aloe vera plants we can use the juice of them to administer our pets, however, It is not the most recommended option.

The reason is that there are approximately 300 species of aloe vera and the only one that can be used safely in our pets and in ourselves is the species aloe vera barbadensis.

If you are not sure that your aloe vera belongs specifically to this species, the best option is to buy pure aloe vera juice of human quality.

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