Lily poisoning in domestic cats

ABSTRACT

Background: Cases of plant intoxication in small animals are observed frequently in the domestic environment, mainlybecause most dogs and cats live in households and occasionally have access to streets and rural areas. Among such toxicagents, ornamental plants of the genus Lilium and Hemerocallis, which are potentially nephrotoxic to the feline species,are highlighted. Affected cats start presenting clinical signs 1-6 h after plant ingestion. Renal failure takes place in 12-72h, and death may occur in an interval ranging from three to seven days. The objective of this article is to describe theepidemiological, clinical and pathological findings of lily (Lilium sp.) poisoning in two cats.Case The aspects of lily poisoning in two cats are described (cat #1 and cat #2). Cat #1 was a 3-year-old, mixed breedfemale cat, which presented a clinical history of anorexia, apathy, drooling, vomiting and polydipsia. Serum biochemicalanalysis revealed creatinine elevation (21.2 mg/dL), as well as hyperphosphatemia (19 mg/dL). Seventy-two h after theonset of clinical signs, renal failure progressed to anuria, followed by death. The second animal of this report (cat #2) wasa 2-year-old, mixed-breed male cat. The animal was found dead by the owner without displaying any previous clinicalsigns. Cats #1 and #2 ingested leaves of lily, which were present in their households as ornamental plants. At necropsy, thekidneys of both cats presented mild enlargement. Moderate perirenal edema was also noted. Cat #1 showed morphologicextrarenal uremic lesions, characterized by ulcers in the oral mucosa and in the margin of the tongue ventral surface. Microscopic lesions observed in both cases were similar and compatible with acute toxic nephropathy. Histologically, severeepithelial cell degeneration and necrosis of proximal and distal convoluted tubules were noted. Other renal microscopicfindings included hyaline...