By Dr. John De Jong | Ask the Vet
April 28, 2019 at 12:22 am
Our 10-year-old cat started vomiting after eating some chives that we had cut from our garden.
Our vet told us to get him into an emergency hospital right away. We were informed he could have suffered a serious blood issue and even died.
Why are chives so bad for cats? What other herbs in our garden do we need to watch out for? Do we need to lock up our greenhouse to keep out our cats?
Luckily, everything turned out well and this one is OK.
While it is not likely that serious harm would have come to your cat unless he ingested an extraordinary amount of chives, you took the right precaution by taking him in.
Chives are mildly toxic to cats, and to some dogs as well. The herb belongs to the same family as garlic and onions. High doses of any of these can cause something known as hemolytic anemia in which the red blood cells rupture and the animal becomes weak or worse.
The first symptoms include drooling, vomiting, diarrhea or abdominal discomfort. This can then lead to pale gums, weakness, rapid breathing and an increased heart rate. The initial signs may be seen immediately, but those attributed to the anemia may take a few days to appear so serial blood tests may be done to ensure that anemia does not develop.
I doubt that you need to lock up your garden, but do keep an eye on things. There are many sources out there that can teach you about toxic herbs and plants, and you can talk to your veterinarian about what you are growing.
I hope your cats, properly fed, wonât get too much more curious about what to chew on.
Cat gets no kick from chives
