Cat ate A&D cream.

Dr. Marie replied:

Thanks for your question. I have looked up the ingredients in A&D cream. The biggest concern would be the zinc oxide. Zinc oxide *can* be toxic to cats. However, Salem would have to have eaten a large amount in order to see toxic effects.

If a small amount of zinc oxide is eaten, it can cause some minor stomach upset. It's not uncommon to see vomiting after a diaper cream is eaten. But, this vomiting would be expected to happen within 12 hours or so of ingestion. It would be hard to blame vomiting 4 days later on minor gastrointestinal irritation. But it certainly is possible.

If a large amount of zinc oxide is eaten by a cat (or a dog) it can have serious effects such as kidney toxicity and hemolytic anemia which is a condition where blood cells start to be destroyed in the body. If you spoke with poison control and they felt comfortable that there was no problem then it is unlikely that Salem ate enough to have these serious issues. It would be extremely unlikely for a cat to eat enough zinc oxide to cause kidney failure or hemolytic anemia. Also, Salem would be acting much sicker than she is.

Most likely you have nothing to worry about. However, here are some things I would look for to help you decide whether you should have your vet see her:

-If the vomiting continues and gets more frequent.
-If she loses her appetite.
-If your gut just tells you that something is not right.
-If you are noticing a significant increase in thirst and urination as this can be a sign of kidney toxicity.
-If she is extremely lethargic as this can be a sign of anemia.
-If you feel that her gums look very pale (but this can be hard to assess in a cat.)

I would be surprised if there was a serious issue.

Please let me know if you have more questions.

Dr. Marie.


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