Tampa woman hopes others learn from her cat’s death by poisonous flowerTampa Bay Times, Nov 27, 2017, Libby Baldwin
TAMPA — The day before her birthday, Samara Sodos opened her front door to find a bouquet of flowers sent by her sister in Maryland.
She posted a photo of the flowers on Facebook with a comment about how her tortoiseshell cat, Lucy, enjoyed chewing on the gift, as she had many of the arrangements Sodos has received through the years. One week later, gravely ill, the 12-year-old cat died in Sodos’ arms at a pet hospital after a veterinarian informed Sodos there was nothing more they could do.
The bouquet included lilies, common in floral arrangements, especially around the holidays. But many lily varieties contain oxalates, highly toxic to cats and other pets.
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Now Sodos hopes to do what she can to spare other pets from succumbing to such innocent-looking health threats. Lilies are among the most dangerous, even in small amounts.
Pet owners also should beware of popular holiday plants like poinsettias, mistletoe and amaryllis, as well as the additives poured into Christmas tree water to preserve the needles.
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