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Vet Warns Pet Owners About The Dangers Of Salt Lamps

A veterinarian from Rose Avenue Vet Hospital in New Zealand recently posted a warning for cat and dog owners with the popular Himalayan salt lamps in their homes.

"We woke up on Wednesday morning to our darling Ruby walking really strangely and had her head in an odd position as she walked," the post reads.

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"We initially thought this was just because she was so cold so we got her nice and toasty and left for work as usual. Wednesday afternoon Clayton arrived home from work and she had deteriorated dramatically so we rushed her to the vets."

It wasn't immediately clear what the issue was.

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"The vets were extremely concerned for her and could see she definitely had neurological problems," the post continued, "because she simply could not walk properly, could not hear or see, couldn't even eat or drink properly because she couldn't function her tongue the best."

"Her basic senses and abilities GONE in 12 hours. She was so helpless."

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After an array of blood tests, it turned out that Ruby had a severe case of salt poisoning.

"This severe salt poisoning had caused her brain to swell, and ultimately the neurological problems that followed."

"The salt poisoning was caused by just your normal salt lamp that we had in our lounge."

Unsplash | Michal Wozniak

"Ruby had ingested the salt by simply licking the lamp (we didn’t realize obviously). This is usually more common in dogs so this was a huge shock, and their first case they have seen with a cat."

Salt poisoning is extremely deadly to animals.

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"She is basically a miracle to still be here now," the post warns. "These salt lamps are addictive to animals, and if they get a taste it becomes just like potato chips are to us!"

"Hopefully sharing this might help educate others on just how deadly these lamps can be if the salt is ingested."

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Ruby is currently in recovery, and the educational post has reached upwards of 70,000 people. Hopefully, Ruby's story can prevent other animals from getting hurt.

h/t: Distractify