Can you give aspirin to a cat? Faced with your cat who seems to be in pain or has a fever, you wonder if you can give him a small dose of aspirin, Aspro or Aspro to relieve him ...
And long before I explain why, I prefer to tell you right away NOT especially not ! Indeed, we will see below that giving aspirin to a cat is not at all recommended and can even be fatal. We will also see how to relieve a cat who is suffering or has a fever without endangering him and therefore without giving him aspirin!
Giving aspirin to a cat - DANGER
When we are feverish or in pain locally, we have become accustomed to taking care of ourselves by taking aspirin which is over the counter in pharmacies. Whether in the form of Aspégic, Aspro, Upsa, aspirin has analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory active ingredients effective for humans. But, these drugs are not designed for cats.
In fact, because the metabolism of cats is not the same as that of humans, the compositions and doses provided for in medicaments and in particular in tablets or sachets of aspirins are only suitable for humans.
If you give it to a cat, the effects of aspirin will be very different and even dangerous because it can be toxic to cats. Indeed, certain molecules can make them sick and in doses can even be fatal for a cat.
In some cases, veterinarians prescribe aspirin for cats. This is sometimes the case to prevent the cat from thrombosis, to thin its blood and thus limit the formation of clots. But only he knows in which cases to give aspirin to a cat and especially for which dosage.
Giving A Cat Aspirin - FATAL POISONING
Be careful because the poisoning of a cat with aspirin, when it has been administered too high a dose, is fatal. Indeed, there is no antidote against this type of intoxication or solution to make up for the damage caused by aspirin on your cat's body!
Symptoms of a cat's aspirin poisoning can occur half an hour after ingestion or several hours after ingestion. They manifest as fever, difficulty breathing, vomiting, abdominal pain, heart trouble, kidney problems, seizures, and sometimes coma.
You gave your cat aspirin - what to do?
Regardless of the dose they have taken, if your cat has swallowed aspirin, you will need to react as quickly as possible.
No need to try to make your cat vomit or give him activated charcoal to fight poisoning.
The best is to contact a poison control center (CAPAE West or CNITV) or go directly to a veterinarian or to a veterinary emergency clinic.
Remember to take the package of aspirin that your cat has ingested to facilitate a faster veterinary diagnosis.
Do not give aspirin to a cat - Prevention
No self-medication
The first prevention will be to never self-medicate to treat your cat and to require those around you to do the same. If you think that your cat has a coldand your cat has a fever and if you have afraid your cat is sick, then you have to make an appointment to show your cat to his vet.
No aspirin within reach of the cat
Because a cat can be a thief, to prevent it from taking the aspirin pill that is lying around on your bedside table or on the living room table by itself, you will have to remember to put all your medicines out of reach. your cat.
When you have a cat, you have to be considerate as when you have a child. Suddenly all medications must be stored in a medicine box that your cat will not be able to reach.
See also: What to give a cat in pain?