Stray cat has dish soap on her. Will she get sick or have skin irritation?

There is a chance of toxicity with ingesting dish soap. Dish soap is listed as a non-ionic detergent, and you will see vomiting and diarrhea if she digests it. I recommend trying to get her to wash the rest off, and the monitor her. If she does starting vomiting and having diarrhea, you need to take her to your vet right away. Your vet will have to administer treatment, as inducing vomiting is not recommended because it will do more harm than good. Next time you wash your cat, I'd recommend a pet shampoo to do it.

In small amounts, ingestion of Dawn dish soap may cause some mild vomiting or diarrhea. If some of it were inhaled, it could cause some respiratory signs such as rapid breathing and coughing. I would monitor her closely at this point. If she's breathing normally, I wouldn't be too concerned. If you do see her start to breathe quickly or breathe with her mouth open, I would take her to a veterinarian right away. Open-mouth breathing in a cat is a sign of severe respiratory distress and needs to be treated right away. I hope this helps and that she feels better soon!

Dawn dish soap is usually non-toxic, and may just cause some stomach upset such as vomiting or diarrhea. You can try giving a bland meal of boiled rice and chicken to help settle his upset stomach. However, if he continues vomiting, or his symptoms worsen (lethargy, refusal to eat, pale gums/tongue) then bringing him into your local vet or ER clinic may be best.

Bathe her with Dawn dish soap right away to get it off her and call your vet. It can cause neurological problems and she may need supportive care. Blue Dawn is the best, but any dish soap will do in a pinch.

I am sorry to hear about your concern for your kitty! Ingesting a small amount of shampoo (provided it isnt' a medicated kind) would not be likely to cause any poisoning/toxicity in your kitty, but could cause some stomach upset. I would just recommend monitoring her appetite and energy level and watching for vomiting. If you notice changes in these then a visit to your vet is recommended.

Poor Shadow! She is very young to be fully immersed in water, it is incredibly stressful and dangerous for young animals. Moreover, dish soap is very bad for their skin and coat and not even a truly effective way of killing fleas, when the eggs hatch there will be no residual activity. In future it would be much kinder and more effective to buy a spot on flea treatment such as frontline. Now as for why she is so poorly: best case scenario is that she has gotten very cold and stressed and her body is temporarily reacting to it. But on the same hand she may have got water in her lungs ( her lungs are tiny so it doesn't take much) and this will make her incredibly sick and is potentially life threatening. You need to get her to a vet asap because if something serious is going on it needs to be treated quickly. Hopefully it is just that she is in a bit of shock. In the mean time keep her warm and comfortable. In future if you need any advice regarding pet care please ask your vet or ask us, we will always help. Best of luck.

Unless she ate a large amount of it (1 tablespoon or more), she should be fine. You can call the poison control hotline ( http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/ ) to confirm as they will have the most up to date information if it would help you. Otherwise, monitor her for vomiting, decreased appetite, lethargy, or diarrhea. I don't expect she'll have any problems. Thanks for using PetCoach and please let know if this was helpful!