For many people, letting a cat into the garage is a normal part of daily life. Whether you want to get them out of the house for a few moments or they attend to their business in a litter box there, many people regularly let their cats into the garage. However, it's not always safe to do so. If you've recently let your cat back in from the garage and they're salivating or drooling, it could indicate something serious. Here's what you should know.
Toxin Exposure
With the exception of serious injury and major health incidents, like having a stroke, most cats only drool while conscious for one reason: poisoning. Drooling and overproduction of saliva is often a symptom of the body trying to rid itself of something toxic. And unfortunately, garages that are used to store vehicles, chemicals, or car products are often very dangerous for cats.
The most common substances that your cat may have encountered are oil and antifreeze. Both of these substances often leak out of cars onto the ground beneath them when they're parked. In some cases, homeowners may also keep these products in the garage in areas where a cat could access them. Both of these substances are dangerous and toxic.
Importance of Immediate Reaction
When it comes to poisoning, time is extremely important. A cat's body generally isn't capable of coping with exposure to extreme toxins like these, and in antifreeze's case in particular, the longer it's in your cat's body, the more likely they are to experience permanent, and possibly fatal, damage. If you have any reason to believe that your cat may have encountered some kind of toxic substance, even if it wasn't from your garage, you need to get them help right away.
What to Do
This isn't the kind of incident that can wait for a general veterinarian to make time for your pet. The best solution is to rush to an emergency vet's office. They can treat pets on a drop-in basis, and are equipped to handle cases of poisoning like this.
Your vet's office will immediately examine and go to work on your cat. Activated charcoal may be administered to help absorb any of the toxin that hasn't already been digested. From there, additional measures will be taken depending on what your cat was exposed to. For example, alcohol administered via IV can sometimes be used to break down the dangerous substances in antifreeze before it can cause serious harm and probable organ failure for your cat.
As you can likely see, this isn't a minor issue in the slightest, and calls for immediate care. Contact a local emergency vet at once if you suspect that your cat may be ill.
