My cat ate permethrin – what should I do?
Call a vet nowCall your vet or the nearest emergency vet right now. Permethrin can cause life-threatening toxicosis in cats even below 100 mg/kg.
What to do right now
- Note what was eaten, how much and when.
- Bring the packaging.
- Keep your cat calm.
- Remove what is left.
Don't
- Do not make your cat vomit unless a vet tells you to.
- Do not give any human medicine.
Why it can be dangerous
Even flea and tick products made for dogs can be dangerous or possibly life-threatening if used on cats.[1] Life-threatening toxicosis could be caused by a dose lower than 100 mg/kg.[3] The minimum toxic dose of permethrin is unknown.[3] Products containing over 40% permethrin are labelled for use in dogs only.[3]
What the experts say
“even flea and tick products for dogs can be dangerous, or possibly life-threatening, if used on cats or other animals”
“It may take a few hours or longer before signs of toxicity become apparent.”
Not sure how serious it is?
OkPaw asks a few quick questions about your pet and tells you in 30 seconds whether it can wait. Free on Google Play for Android.
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Common questions
How much permethrin is dangerous to a cat?
The minimum toxic dose is unknown; life-threatening toxicosis could be caused by a dose lower than 100 mg/kg, and 100 mg/kg can result in life-threatening toxicosis.[3][4]
How soon can signs appear?
Signs of toxicity may take a few hours or longer to become apparent.[2]
Sources
- US FDA – Center for Veterinary Medicine
- Animal PoisonLine (UK, VPIS)
- Treatment of permethrin toxicosis in cats by ILE, Toxics 2022
- ILE and dexmedetomidine for feline permethrin intoxication, 4 cases, Open Vet J 2015
How this page was made: written with the help of AI from the sources below, then checked claim by claim against those sources. Urgency levels follow OkPaw’s fixed safety rules. It is guidance, not a diagnosis. How we write our pages
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