A New Zealand woman has issued a warning to all other pet owners about the potential danger of owning a Himalayan salt lamp after her own beloved cat almost died, Bored Panda reported.
Maddie Smith shared her story on Facebook and told others about the unknown risks associated with owning one of these unique but surprisingly deadly decor items, particularly if their pets are prone to exploring random household items.
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In addition to completing a space, Himalayan salt lamps actually offer some great health benefits.
These light sources, which are fashioned out of giant chunks of pinkish rock, can help humans in various ways , such as improving sleep, increasing blood flow, and even easing allergy and asthma symptoms.
However, as healthy as they are for humans, they are actually incredibly dangerous for our pets.
One morning in late June, Maddie awoke to find her kitten, Ruby, acting rather strangely.
According to her post, which was uploaded to the Rose Avenue Vet Hospital’s Facebook page , her beloved pet was walking funny with her head in an odd position. Initially, she and her partner, Clayton, brushed off Ruby’s behavior as being the result of cold morning weather, and warmed her up before they headed off to work.
When the pair arrived home from work, they were distraught to find their cat’s health had seriously and drastically deteriorated.
Now definitely concerned, they rushed Ruby to the vet, who told the owners that they could certainly see Ruby was having some neurological problems. She couldn’t walk properly, hear, or see, and her tongue also wasn’t functioning.
“Her basic senses and abilities were GONE in 12 hours,” Maddie wrote. “She was so helpless.”
After a series of tests were run, the vets confirmed that Ruby was suffering from severe swelling in her brain.
Maddie was told this was a result of extremely high sodium levels in her cat’s blood, leading to the swelling and subsequent neurological problems.
So how exactly did Ruby manage to ingest so much salt? Maddie points to the salt lamp that she and Claton keep in their lounge, which she claims Ruby licked.
“Salt poisoning is extremly deadly to animals and [Ruby] is basically a miracle to still be here now.”
Maddie explained that animals ingesting the rock salt is typically more common in dogs, but warns that the substance can be addictive to all animals, “just like potato chips are to us.”
In fact, too much salt is toxic for both cats and dogs. According to the Pet Poison Helpline , salt poisoning in dogs and cats can be indicated by such symptoms as vomiting, diarrhea, a lack of appetite, walking “drunk,” and excessive urination, among others. If untreated, it can cause seizures, coma, and even death.
For cats, the recommended amount of salt intake is around 16.7 mg.
If your furry friend is nimble and eager enough to leap up onto tables and lick at your salt lamps, that number can easily be overachieved, leading to serious health consequences.
If you suspect your cat has ingested a toxic amount of salt, here’s what you should do.
Take your cat to a local veterinarian immediately without attempting to treat them yourself first. Or, you can also call the Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661 with an applicable $49 fee per incident.
The best action to take is preventative, and that would be moving your lamps safely out of reach of your pets.
Thankfully, Maddie got Ruby to the vet just in time, and she is now slowly but surely recovering from her inadvertent poisoning.
“She’s a fighter that’s for sure!” Maddie said, adding that she shared her story to “help educate others on just how deadly these lamps can be if the salt is ingested.”
My suggestion? Ditch the lamps. Sure they’re gorgeous and aesthetically pleasing in any space. But potentially poisoning your beloved fur baby is just too big of a risk to run for some decor piece.
h/t: Bored Panda
