Owner ever feel the cat get fever and sometimes using paracetamol or acetaminophen as the medicine. After ingestion the drug, the cat will get vomiting and swollen face...what happened? Do you know if paracetamol is so dangerous for cat? This time, we will discuss about paracetamol intoxication in cat for your information as cat’s owner.

Paracetamol or acetaminophen is a pain killer and anti fever for human. This drus is absorbed fastly in digestive system. Less than 30 minutes, intoxication paracetamol will show clinical sign in cat.

Why is paracetamol dangerous in cat?

Cat is different with human, which can metabolize this drug cat only have small amount of glukoronil transferase enzyme in liver, which useful to metabolize paracetamol and waste it in to renal. It means cat can’t metabolize this drug so the toxic metabolite NAPQI (N-Acetyl-para-benzequinoneimine) will be generated. NAPQI will stick on hepatocelluler and damage lipid layer, so it will make hepatocyte damaging. Oxydation stress will be resulted in red blood cell, especially haemoglobin. Haemoglobin will change to methaemoglobin, the form of not-binding protein nor transport the oxygen to whole body. This condition make cat loss of oxygen and anemia. In the other hand, this drug is nephrotoxic and may damage the renal.

Dog have pretty enough glukoronyl transferase enzym to metabolize paracetamol. But, if dog eat more than the normal dose, it will show intoxication. It’s therefore cat is easier to get intoxication that dog.

Some of journals reveal toxic dose of paracetamol 50-100 mg/kg BW for cat. But in the other research, in small dose 10 mg/kg BW may show the toxic symptoms and death. It’s why, it’s never recommended every single dose of paracetamol in cat.

Vet can diagnose paracetamol intoxication from the owner’s information at home. The commonly situation, owner give paracetamol as a anti fever for their cat without any information about the drug or cat swallow accidentally. Owner have to inform in detail to vet about the amount and timing. It will help so much for the treatment that will be given. Another laboratory test such as urine test and blood check will be done to support the diagnose.

The most common symptoms are depression, vomiting, loss of appetite, weakness, swollen face or limbs, hypersalivation, tension abdomen, difficult to breath, brownish urine, gray coloured gums (cyanosis), and coma (fatal).

   
In urine test, it will find brownish and dark coloured because of contain methemoglobin.

If you find the symptoms, pick up your cat as soon as possible to vet that near of you to get fast treatment. Vet will ask you about something happened at home and more details to find right diagnose and give the best therapy.
When cat pick up to the clinic, the the main priority is tipically given supplemental oxygen to respiratory stabilization. It will need to be given oxygen because the cat has swollen face and difficult to breath. After that, vet will induce nausea or vomiting by using activated charcoal if less than 30 minutes of ingestion. If cat has ingested paracetamol more than 30 minutes and show intoxication symptoms, it needs antidote such as N-acetylcystein (NAC) (injection or oral). NAC is used to make chain with NAPQI to minimize celluler damage.
 

Another therapy is combination between cimetidine with NAC or vitamin C. It show effectiveness to minimize any potential liver damage than giving single medicine. Recovery time depend on how much paracetamol swallow by cat and time that show the sypmtoms. It needs several week to cure the liver. So, fast actions by owner realising their cat has eaten paracetamol or promptly telling the vet they have given the drug can save a cat’s life. And Owner have to continue the medication at home continually according to vet’s prescpription.
Paracetamol intoxication can be fatal in cat. If the condition is known fastly, cat will get recovery by right diagnose and proper treatment. Additional therapy involve fluid therapy to restore tissue perfusion. When face become normal size and pink mucose, it’s easier to feed prescription diet for anorexia status to give more energy and make dog stable.

There are some medicine as painkiller for cat such as ketoprofen, carprofen, meloxicam, and tolfenamic acid. It’s importsnt to count the proper dose due to body weight and vet prescription. It’s therefore if your cat get sick, pick it up readily to veterinary clinic to get good treatment.

Pustaka
Allen, Andrew L. 2003. The Diagnosis of Acetaminophen Toxicosis in a Cat. Saskatchewan: Can Vet J. http:/ncbi.mlm.nih.gov/pmc
Streenbergen, Vera. 2013. Acetaminophen and Cats, a Dangerous Combination. Illnois: Veterinary Tecnician.