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Vets Remind Cat Owners To Keep Pets Away From Easter Lilies

By John McDevitt

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - It's that time of year when veterinarians remind cat owners to keep their furry friends away from Easter Lilies as they could be lethal.

Lilies dangerous to cats include the Easter lily, Tiger lily, Star Gazer, Japanese show lily and the Day lily. Consumption could cause kidney failure.

"I think unfortunately the public is still unaware of the risk of lily plants to a very large degree," says Dr. J.D. Foster -- an internal medicine specialist and head of the dialysis program at Penn Vet. "We've seen cats who have developed toxicity secondary to just rubbing their face along the plant and getting pollen on their face and then they ingest the pollen after grooming. So really any part, a cat could chew one leaf and just in the process of biting on a leaf a couple of times they could ingest enough of the toxins that could cause very serious kidney failure."

And don't forget fresh-cut bouquets could have a lily or two included.

Penn Vet says symptoms like vomiting, loss of appetite and lethargy could occur if a cat ingests a toxic plants within a few hours. If this happens, it's important to get your pet to a veterinarian immediately.

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