Chemical
Antifreeze (ethylene glycol)
Extreme emergency. Treatment must begin within hours in cats to be effective.
Life-threateningCatsDogsWildlife
What to do right now
- 1.Go straight to an emergency veterinary hospital
- 2.Take the container if you have it
- 3.Tell the clinic you suspect antifreeze so they prepare the antidote
Symptoms
- Appearing drunk or uncoordinated
- Excessive thirst and urination
- Vomiting
- Apparent recovery followed by collapse
- Seizures
Details
- Category
- Chemical
- Toxicity
- Life-threatening
- Species affected
- Cats, Dogs, Wildlife
- Routes of exposure
- Licking spills from driveways and garages, or drinking from contaminated puddles
- Urgency
- Extreme emergency. Treatment must begin within hours in cats to be effective.
Veterinary treatment
Ethylene glycol metabolites cause irreversible kidney failure. An antidote exists but the treatment window is very short, especially in cats.