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Urgent care is for pets who are unwell, in discomfort, are in urgent situation or are not acting like themselves and should be assessed within 24 hours.
Wellness, routine, or general care is for pets needing vaccines, preventive care, or ongoing monitoring who can safely wait at least 24 hours.
This page focuses on urgent assessment. Routine wellness exams, preventive care, and monitoring of stable conditions are provided through scheduled general wellness appointments.
Cat Exposed to Lilies (Emergency)
If you've seen your pet ingest this, call the veterinarian and get your pet seen !!!
Lily toxicosis in cats can progress from mild vomiting to irreversible kidney failure and death within 24–72 hours, even after exposure to a small amount of pollen or a single bite of a flower.
Cats may appear to improve early on, but that apparent normalcy does not reflect what is happening inside the kidneys.
Definition
Lily toxicosis is a toxin-induced clinical syndrome in cats, not a diagnosis.
Certain members of the Liliaceae and Hemerocallis families cause direct destruction of kidney tubular cells in cats. The exact toxin is still unknown, but the result is predictable: acute kidney injury that can progress rapidly and silently.
Dogs are not susceptible to the kidney-toxic effects of lilies. This condition applies only to cats.
Lilies are common in homes, bouquets, and holiday arrangements, yet most cat owners do not know they are lethal. Even indoor-only cats are at high risk.
Owners often search “my cat ate a lily,” “lily pollen on cat fur,” “are lilies toxic to cats,” “cat vomiting after lily exposure,” “how fast do lilies kill cats,” “peace lily vs real lily,” “cat kidney failure lily,” or “my cat seems fine after eating lily.”
Who This Page Is For
Cats with possible exposure to lilies, bouquets, or plant pollen, even without confirmed ingestion
Cats that licked pollen off their fur or drank water from a vase
Cats showing vomiting, drooling, loss of appetite, or quiet behavior
Indoor cats whose owners did not realize lilies were dangerous
Owners unsure whether a small exposure “counts”
Who This Page Is Not For
Dogs (dogs do not develop kidney failure from lilies)
If you are unsure whether exposure occurred, that uncertainty itself warrants veterinary assessment.
Related Urgent Symptoms
Toxin Exposure in Dogs and Cats
Cat Not Eating
Cat Lethargic and Weak
Vomiting And Diarrhea
Increased Thirst and Urination
Acute Kidney Injury (AKI)
Dehydration
What This Can Look Like at Home
Early signs are often nonspecific and easy to dismiss.
Drooling or vomiting within a few hours
Quiet behavior or hiding
Decreased appetite
Temporary improvement after stomach upset resolves
Increased urination later, followed by little or no urine production
Many cats look “better” before kidney injury becomes obvious.
Why This Can Be Hard to Judge
Lily toxicosis has a dangerous delayed pattern.
Initial stomach upset may resolve within hours, leading owners to believe the problem passed. Meanwhile, toxic injury to kidney cells continues silently.
Cats often hide illness, and apparent normal behavior does not reliably reflect internal kidney function.
The Improvement Trap
Temporary improvement does not equal resolution.
GI signs may disappear around 6 hours after exposure, but kidney damage typically declares itself 18–48 hours later.
By the time lethargy, dehydration, or reduced urination appear, kidney injury may already be severe or irreversible.
What Is Easy to Miss at Home
Silent kidney injury before blood values change
Reduced urine output that is hard to notice without a litterbox check
Cats grooming pollen off their fur
Drinking vase water after flowers are discarded
Subtle dehydration or hypothermia
These are the reasons testing — not appearance — determines severity.
When This Can Be an Emergency
Immediate urgent care is required if:
A cat had any contact with lilies or lily pollen
Vomiting or drooling occurs within hours of exposure
Appetite decreases or behavior changes
Urination increases, then decreases
A cat seems “off” with no clear explanation
Exposure timing is unknown
How Veterinarians Assess This
Clinical signs alone cannot reliably determine severity.
Symptoms of lily toxicosis can look mild while kidney injury is already progressing. Diagnostic testing is how veterinarians detect kidney damage early enough to change outcome.
Diagnostic testing may include:
Serum chemistry profile to evaluate kidney values and electrolytes
Symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) for early kidney injury detection
Urinalysis to identify renal casts, protein loss, or poor concentration
Venous blood gas analysis to assess metabolic acidosis
Abdominal imaging to evaluate kidney size and structure
Additional disease-specific testing (such as renal biomarkers or advanced urine analysis) may be considered based on the overall clinical picture.
Veterinary Differentials - Serious / Must-Rule-Out First
Lily toxicosis in cats. Ingestion or contact with true lilies causes rapid, direct kidney injury unique to cats.
Tests may include serum chemistry profile, SDMA, urinalysis, venous blood gas analysis.
Ethylene glycol toxicosis. Antifreeze ingestion causes early neurologic signs followed by severe kidney failure.
Tests may include serum chemistry profile, blood gas analysis, urinalysis, osmolar gap calculation.
Vitamin D–containing rodenticide toxicosis. Causes kidney failure and dangerous calcium elevations.
Tests may include serum chemistry profile, calcium and phosphorus measurement, urinalysis.
Grape or raisin toxicosis. Certain cats may develop acute kidney injury after ingestion.
Tests may include serum chemistry profile, urinalysis, SDMA.
Ischemic acute kidney injury. Reduced blood flow to the kidneys can cause sudden renal failure.
Tests may include serum chemistry profile, blood pressure measurement, urinalysis.
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). Can cause systemic illness with kidney involvement.
Tests may include serum chemistry profile, imaging, infectious disease testing.
Veterinary Differentials - Common / More Typical
NSAID toxicity. Some medications can cause kidney injury in cats.
Tests may include serum chemistry profile, urinalysis.
Acetaminophen toxicity. Causes severe organ damage in cats and must be ruled out urgently.
Tests may include serum chemistry profile, blood gas analysis.
Dehydration with prerenal azotemia. Reduced fluid intake may temporarily elevate kidney values.
Tests may include serum chemistry profile, urinalysis.
Urinary obstruction. Can cause reduced urine output and azotemia.
Tests may include abdominal imaging, serum chemistry profile, urinalysis.
Other plant toxicoses. Certain plants cause GI or systemic illness without kidney specificity.
Tests may include serum chemistry profile, urinalysis.
Medication-related adverse effects. Some drugs may alter kidney values.
Tests may include serum chemistry profile, urinalysis.
Safety, Psychology, & Peace of Mind
Lily exposure is one of the most time-sensitive toxic emergencies in cats.
What makes this condition especially difficult is that cats may look stable while kidney damage is already underway.
Veterinary assessment replaces uncertainty with objective information about kidney function.
Testing allows veterinarians to determine whether injury is preventable or already established.
Owners frequently report relief after evaluation because they no longer have to guess whether waiting caused harm.
Early, decisive care gives cats the best chance to avoid lifelong kidney disease.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is lily toxicosis in cats an emergency?
Lily toxicosis in cats can range from mild vomiting to rapid, life-threatening kidney failure, depending on timing and exposure. Because outward appearance does not reliably indicate severity, any possible lily exposure is treated as urgent. Same-day urgent care is recommended even if exposure seems minimal or symptoms appear mild.
My cat seems normal now — can this still be serious?
Yes. Cats often hide illness, and lily toxicosis may temporarily improve after early stomach upset resolves. Apparent normal behavior does not reliably reflect internal kidney function, which is why veterinary assessment is appropriate even when a cat appears comfortable or improved.
What if my cat only touched pollen or licked their fur?
Even indirect exposure to lilies, including pollen on fur or drinking vase water, can be clinically meaningful in cats. Temporary improvement does not equal resolution, and waiting can allow silent kidney injury to progress. Early assessment helps determine whether kidney damage is preventable or already developing.
Why are tests needed if we already know lilies are dangerous?
Clinical signs alone cannot determine severity, and there is no single test that confirms lily ingestion. Diagnostic testing is how veterinarians assess early kidney injury, electrolyte changes, and acid–base status before outward signs appear. Testing replaces guesswork with clarity and guides appropriate care.
What should I do right now?
Do not rely on watchful waiting. Any suspected lily exposure in cats warrants veterinary assessment, particularly if timing is unclear or exposure may have already occurred. Same-day urgent care helps determine risk and the safest next steps.