Cherish cats, stay away from onions
Many popular science articles have written that both cats and dogs should not eat onions, and that accidental ingestion of onions by cats and dogs can cause a toxic disease characterized by hemoglobinuria. However, cats are more sensitive to food and have relatively few incidents of accidental ingestion, while dogs have more cases of onion poisoning. After poisoning, the milder symptom is red urine, and severe urine will be soy sauce colored, which can lead to anemia in poisoned dogs and cats, and can lead to death in severe cases.

Most people know that cats can not eat onions! and Cats can't eat potatoes either! Potato poisoning how to do it?
So many people who have cats and dogs know to keep cats and dogs away from onions. But did you know that potatoes can also cause poisoning in dogs and cats?

I. A case of potato poisoning in cats

A friend has many cats and dogs in his store. The store is large, with a front and back yard, and the pets have a wide range of space to move around and are unrestricted. The store has a staff cafeteria on the second floor, so there are often piles of commonly eaten vegetables in the storage room, such as cabbage and radishes, as well as potato subs.

Most people know that cats cannot eat onions! and Cats can't eat potatoes either! What should I do about potato poisoning?
The weather was humid and some potatoes sprouted. A naughty kitten seemed interested in the sprouted potatoes, sniffed and licked them, and accidentally ate the sprouts.

About ten minutes later, an employee noticed that the kitten seemed to be very wrong, and kept scratching its own throat with its claws as if it could not breathe. The cat was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment, but because no one saw the cat stealing the potato sprouts, it was not known to be poisoned, and the doctor could only treat it according to the specific symptoms. Fortunately, the kitten's poisoning was relatively mild and it was fine after treatment.

II. How did the cat get poisoned by eating potatoes?

Potatoes, also known as potatoes, ground eggs, yams, etc., here we will use the potatoes that we use most often.

Potatoes themselves contain a toxin called lobotropin, which contains less than 0.1% of the toxin when not sprouted and does not poison people or pets.

Sprouted potatoes, especially those with greenish-purple green around the buds, can contain up to 0.5% of lobotoxin, which can cause poisoning when consumed in large quantities.

So you may ask the case of the kitten that just ate a little, and did not eat a lot, how can also be poisoned? Because cats are so small, that little bit of toxin may not be enough to cause disease in big cats or dogs, but it can easily cause harm to kittens, but because they eat less, the symptoms are also very mild.

So, to be precise, it is not potatoes that can cause poisoning in cats, but potato sprouts.

Whether it is onions or potato sprouts, the phytotoxins contained in these toxic plants are absorbed by the organism and damage the functions and institutions of tissues and organs directly or through biotransformation, which in turn affects the growth and development of cats and causes a series of clinical symptoms, some of which can even threaten the lives of cats, and we refer to such diseases collectively as toxic plant poisoning diseases.

III. Causes of potato sprout poisoning in cats

Sprouted potatoes contain lobotoxin, especially the young shoots and the eye part of the shoots has a surge of lobotoxin, which can cause poisoning in cats after eating large amounts.

Cases of potato sprout poisoning are common in the late spring and early summer seasons.

Lobeline has a strong irritating effect on the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract, a paralyzing effect on the respiratory center, and can cause cerebral edema and congestion. In addition, lobeline has a hemolytic effect on red blood cells.

IV. Specific symptoms of soil bean sprout poisoning in cats

Symptoms usually appear within about 10 minutes to a few hours after a cat accidentally ingests potato sprouts.

Cats will first experience scratching and burning sensation in the throat and a burning sensation or pain in the abdomen.

Symptoms of gastroenteritis will then occur and the cat may vomit violently and have diarrhea, which may lead to dehydration electrolyte disturbance, and a drop in the cat's blood pressure.

The cat may also experience vertigo, mildly impaired consciousness, and signs of respiratory distress.

In severe cases, death may occur due to heart failure and respiratory center paralysis.

First aid for feline potato sprout poisoning
If you suspect that your cat has been poisoned by accidental ingestion of potato sprouts, you can do a lobotropin level test to confirm the diagnosis.

There is no specific antidote for lobotropin poisoning, only general detoxification measures and symptomatic treatment can be taken as soon as possible.

Detoxification: Gastric lavage or laxatives are used to promote the excretion of toxic substances from the gastrointestinal tract according to the cat's condition.

Symptomatic treatment.

Sedatives should be used for cats that are manic and restless.
Protect the gastrointestinal mucosa and use antibacterial drugs to prevent secondary infection if necessary.
In serious cases, take measures such as rehydration to improve the condition of the body.
Most people know that cats cannot eat onions! Cats should not eat potatoes either! What should I do about potato poisoning?
Prevention is better than cure
Many people like to stock up on vegetables at home. If you have potatoes, you should store them at a low temperature and avoid sunlight to prevent sprouting.

The place where the vegetables are stored should be protected to avoid cats and dogs from entering and causing accidental ingestion.

Potatoes that have sprouted should be eaten with extra care. If they have too many sprouts and the skin is already black and green, do not eat them. Those with fewer sprouts should be thoroughly dug out and the skin around them should be partially peeled off, and such potatoes should be avoided in a stew.

Most people know that cats can't eat onions! and Cats can't eat potatoes either! What should I do about potato poisoning?
All in all, it is better to avoid accidental ingestion by dogs and cats at the source, and not to poison the humans themselves. Once the incident of accidental poisoning occurs, the first time to the hospital for symptomatic first aid to avoid more serious complications on the baby cats to cause more harm.

To be honest, you can never predict what these cute, sophisticated pets will eat into, so prevention is the first thing to go, and it's good to be careful!

V. Cats can eat cooked potatoes

Cats can still eat some potatoes occasionally, but it is not suitable to eat too much, because potatoes contain a lot of starch, and starch is difficult for cats to digest, and it is not good for the digestive function of cats, so cats should eat fewer potatoes in general.

Benefits of eating potatoes
Potatoes are good carbohydrate providers. Although the protein content is small, they have high nutritional value and contain a variety of essential amino acids, which are easily digested and absorbed. Potatoes are also rich in a variety of vitamins and inorganic salts, which are good for your cat's health.

Bad effects of eating potatoes
1. Green, uncooked, and/or unprocessed potato skins contain lycopene, which is toxic to cats. Ingestion of lycopene by cats can cause vomiting, and diarrhea and sometimes affect the nervous system, leading to lethargy and coma.
2. Potatoes cooked with seasonings and oil may cause pancreatitis or gastrointestinal discomfort in cats after consumption. Too much oil and seasoning can cause gastrointestinal discomfort.
3. Cooked potatoes contain a lot of starch, cats should not eat too much, eating too much will be difficult to digest, resulting in poor digestion.

How to eat potatoes
Mashed, baked or boiled potato flour is perfectly safe for pets. Some cat foods even contain potato ingredients. Cooked potatoes are safe because the toxins are destroyed during the cooking process.
You can add some mashed potatoes to your cat's dry food from time to time to give it an extra protein and fiber boost, although not as a substitute for vitamin supplements.