Cat owner warns others about potentially lethal Himalayan salt lamps

A concerned cat owner has taken to social media to warn other people about the danger Himalayan salt lamps pose to felines after her own pet nearly died as a result of poisoning brought about by the cat licking the lamp.

In a post made on the official Facebook page of Rose Avenue Vet Hospital in Coffs Harbour in New South Wales, pet owner Maddie Smith stated that her cat Ruby had been rushed to the practice after becoming seriously unwell. At first, veterinarians suspected that she was suffering from a cold, but as time went on her symptoms worsened.

A blood test forced them to conclude that Ruby was suffering from acute sodium poisoning. Luckily, the cat was able to pull through and is now recovering.

In her Facebook post, Maggie stated: "The vets were extremely concerned for her and could see she definitely had neurological problems because she simply could not walk properly, could not hear or see, couldn’t even eat or drink properly ... she had extremely high sodium levels in her blood. So this severe salt poisoning had caused her brain to swell, and ultimately the neurological problems that followed."

She continued: "The salt poisoning was caused by just your normal salt lamp that we had in our lounge. Ruby has ingested the salt by simply licking the lamp ... This is usually more common in dogs so this was a huge shock, and their first case they have seen with a cat. Salt poisoning is EXTREMELY deadly to animals and she is basically a miracle to still be here now. [sic]"

She added: "These salt lamps are addictive to animals, and if they get a taste it becomes just like potato chips are to us! So please please keep these out of reach from your fur babies. Ruby still has a long road to recovery but we are so glad she’s still here with us, with the right nutrition and hydration we should have her back to normal."

Sodium poisoning in housepets can lead to life-threatening symptoms, including vomiting, diarrhoea, decreased appetite, seizures. If left untreated, the health issues provoked by an increase in sodium intake (more than 16.7 milligrams per day) can induce a coma, and cause death.