Woman Warns Pet Owners After Cat Nearly Dies From Himalayan Salt Lamp

Vets are now warning pet owners to be wary of the dangers
surrounding Himalayan salt lamps after an incident where a woman from New
Zealand almost lost her cat when it licked the household item.

Following a now viral Facebook post, the pet owner, Maddie Smith, said her cat Ruby was starting to show signs of being unwell the morning of June 26.

The warning about the salt lamps was also shared to the Rose Avenue Vet Hospital Facebook page, which is in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales.

“We woke up on Wednesday morning to our
darling Ruby walking really strangely and had her head in an odd position as
she walked,” Smith shared.

Smith, who is originally from New Zealand,
but now lives in Australia, said she initially assumed Ruby’s behavior was
being caused by cold weather.

She went to work as usual after getting
Ruby “nice and toasty.”

However, by the time she returned home from
work, her health had “deteriorated dramatically,” and Smith rushed her to the
vet.

Ruby was treated, but vets were extremely worried as the cat couldn’t walk, eat, or drink properly. Ruby also couldn’t hear or see, leading vets to believe she had “neurological problems,” Smith explained.

A vet has issued a warning for pet owners after a cat was nearly killed from licking a Himalayan salt lamp in New Zealand. Maddie Smith noticed her… https://t.co/p22Aaji5ou

— Julia Charnley (@JuliaCharnley) July 3, 2019

“Her basic senses and abilities GONE in 12
hours. She was so helpless,” Smith said.

The following morning, blood tests came back showing Ruby
had extremely high sodium levels. Vets told Smith that Ruby’s brain was swollen
as a result of suffering from severe sodium poisoning, which then caused the
many neurological problems she was experiencing.

According to Pet Poison Helpline,
sodium poisoning in cats and dogs has the potential to be life-threatening,
with common symptoms including such signs as vomiting, diarrhea, decreased
appetite, seizures and even coma.

Smith was completely unaware of the dangers of owning a Himalayan salt lamp and explained that Ruby had ingested the salt by licking the lamp which Smith had in her lounge.

*Important* Warning About Himalayan Salt Lamps and cats/dogs#saltlamps #himalayansaltlamps #pets #cats #dogs https://t.co/1yY7Bh0OT2

— Omnasztra (@Omnasztra) July 2, 2019

“She is basically a miracle to still be
here now. These salt lamps are addictive to animals, and if they get a taste it
becomes like potato chips are to us! So please please keep these out of reach
from your fur babies,” Smith warned.

Thankfully, Ruby will make a full recovery.
And Smith has since removed the Himalayan salt lamp entirely from her home.

According to Wide Open Pets,
the Himalayan salt lamp has become a very popular item to own in the house,
since it does have several health benefits to it, including better quality
sleep and increased blood flow.

But the site has reported that the lamp can be dangerous if pets ingest more than their recommended daily maximum salt intake from licking the object. For cats, the recommended sodium intake is 16.7 milligrams per day.

Other common household items which have the
potential to be hazardous to pets, are things like essential oil diffusers and
burners.

According to Michelson Found Animals,
many essential oils, which are usually made from plant extracts, are toxic to
both dogs and cats, because “their reactions mess up a pet’s natural body
chemistry.”

Also according to the site, the essential
oils which are harmful to cats include Wintergreen, Sweet birch, Citrus, Pine,
Ylang ylang, Peppermint, Cinnamon, Pennyroyal, Clove, Eucalyptus, Tea tree
(melaleuca), Thyme, Oregano, and Lavender.

While the essential oils that are dangerous
to dogs are Cinnamon, Citrus, Pennyroyal, Peppermint, Pine, Sweet birch, Tea tree
(melaleuca), Wintergreen, Ylang ylang, Anise, Clove, Thyme, Juniper, Yarrow,
and Garlic.

The site is urging pet owners to be careful
of what is in their household and immediately contact their vet if their pets
begin showing signs of poisoning, such as vomiting, difficulty breathing,
fatigue, and difficulty walking.