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Did my cat die from eating fertilizer? | Ask A Vet
 

 


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Did cat die from eating fertilizer?

Species: Cat
Breed: Shorthair
Age: 11-15 years
Hello, a couple of days ago I found one of my cats dead in the garden. Although he is old he had not seemed ill at all and was fine the night before. There were no marks on him, no vomiting or anything. He just looked as if he dad been in mid stride when he fell. The afternoon before I had fed some of my plants with liquid growmore fertiliser and I feel so guilty that I could have poisoned him? The other cat, who is much more likely to lick around the plants, seems fine. Could it be poison even though there are no signs of any distress?

Thanks...


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Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

I'm sorry to hear about Mitchell.

It is extremely unlikely that this was due to poisoning though. Fertilizer is very caustic which means that it is very unlikely that an animal would eat enough to cause problems. And even then, if we did see issues they would likely be vomiting, diarrhea and perhaps kidney failure. Those symptoms would definitely be evident before causing death.

Any other poisons that I can think of would cause signs of illness that would have been very obvious.

When a cat dies all of a sudden the first thing I think of is a condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). This is a heart condition that some cats can have all of their lives and never show any symptoms. (Some cats have a heart murmur with it, but not all). Cats with HCM can just suddenly have their hearts stop. When this happens the cat can just die in mid stride like you have described.

I guess we'll never know for certain what happened without having a post mortem exam done (and even then we don't always find the answer.) But rest assured that it is extremely unlikely that Mitchell's death was your fault.

Dr. Marie.





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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.