
As a cat owner, you would know how sensitive a cat’s digestive system can be and are wondering if Alka-Seltzer works for them. Unlike other animals, a cat’s digestive functions are very sensitive and vulnerable towards diseases and illness. If a proper check is not maintained in their diet, a cat can easily suffer from diabetes, obesity, and gastrointestinal disorders. This is why a cat owner must have sufficient knowledge when it comes to what to give their pet.
Even one wrong food item can have adverse effects on your poor kitty’s digestive system. Alka-Seltzer is pretty toxic for cats, and in some cases and doses it can even cause death. Unlike humans, cats are not intelligent enough to see what is good for their health and what is not, they would eat each and everything that they come across. Therefore, it is your responsibility to keep all such dangerous items, especially Alka-Seltzer, out of your cat’s reach.
Can I Give My Cat Alka-Seltzer? Answer: No!
If you are thinking of giving your cat a tablet of Alka-Seltzer, then the answer is nothing but a big: NO! Alka-Seltzer contains aspirin as its main component which can disturb your cat’s digestive system to an extensive level. A cat can easily be overdosed and as mentioned above, too much Alka-Seltzer in a cat’s stomach can lead to its death. Unlike humans’ metabolism system, a cat’s metabolism system works in an entirely different manner. This is why, unlike humans, a cat’s digestive system requires more time to break down the aspirin.
It can be understood by this example: a human would be required to take a dose of aspirin, let’s say 10mg/kg, every six hours, however, for a cat, the same amount would be required to be injected every 48 hours. Why? Because a cat’s digestive system requires more time.
Aspirin and a Cat’s Digestive System
Researches have shown that the human liver uses a kind of a protein, known as UGT1A6, in order to break down aspirin. However, the same is not true for cats. In 1997, a person named Michael Court, figured out that a cat’s liver barely produces this protein. The reason is the cat’s genome consists of a broken version of this protein, UGT1A6. Therefore, this broken or non-working protein is no help for the cat when it comes to aspirin or other such chemicals.
Aspirin and Its Adverse Effects
If your cat intakes a little amount of aspirin by accident, then it would just feel sick and nauseatic. It would spend its entire day throwing up here and there until the stomach is free from all the aspirin consumed. However, if the cat takes a high amount of aspirin, chances are that it would suffer from gastric irritation, respiratory problems and cat hepatitis. The same is true for Tylenol and paracetamol intake and in some cases, they are even more dangerous.
This is because if a cat takes aspirin there are chances that it would get rid of it by throwing up or by getting it out through other means. However, as far as paracetamol and Tylenol are concerned, a cat can’t get rid of these two. In this way, a cat gets jaundice and its neck and face starts to swell. There is a risk of rupturing of red blood cells too which can give them hemoglobin in the urine.
What To Do If Your Cat is in Pain?
You love your cat and you can’t see it in pain. However, this doesn’t mean that you decide to treat it the same way as you treat a human being. No matter what happens, never apply human medication and treatment for cats. If you see your cat in pain, you need to take it to a vet immediately. Home treatment has never been rated as “good” and it’s advised not to try it unless you are absolutely certain of it. Aspirin not only makes the situation worse, but also adds to the misery of the poor being. Therefore, it is advised not to give Alka-Seltzer or any other medicine that contains either aspirin, Tylenol or paracetamol.
A Quick Note
There are certain things that can be given to a cat and then there are certain things that can NOT be given to a cat no matter what happens and Alka-Seltzer is one of them. If you want to lessen your cat’s pain, take it to a professional vet and follow their instructions.
My cousin gave her cat Alka Seltzer once and it imploded.
My 6 month old kitten just took a little sip of Alka Seltzer. Will this harm her?