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My cat licked dish soap after a bath. Is it harmful for her?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | 2 years and 1 month old

Hi, I tried to wash my cat with dishsoap, but she escaped and I didnt wash it out from her. Could it be harmful for her when she ingest it? Thank you.

5 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on July 5th, 2016

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.

20Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM
Veterinarian
Never wash a cat unless told by a veterinarian or as an emergency measure when the cat came in contact with poisonous agents. That said dish soap is not so poisonous,. however your cat will try and clean herself and ingest most of it. Try catching her and rinsing her INSIDE with the door closed. Make sure you dry her off as much as possible. If she gets lethargic or vomits or otherwise does not feel good,. take her to a veterinarian. for an exam.
15Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on October 31st, 2019
Hello. Soap can cause irritation to the oral mucosa & stomach. If Millie is looking & acting well, no drooling, foaming, gagging or pawing at her mouth, then it is unlikely she ingested much. If she did ingest some, most likely it will result in diarrhea. But if she should start vomiting or refuse all food & water, she may need to be hospitalized for a day or so for fluids to be administered. But if she continues to eat & drink normally, she should be just fine. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Summer Walker, DVM, MS
Veterinarian
Published on July 11th, 2017
It would be best to try to decontaminate the area if possible. You can take a wet washcloth if it is a small region and try to wipe off the soap, or if Astra is okay with bathing you can perform a quick bath to remove it. Dishwashing soap can be irritating to the mouth and stomach if ingested, so you may see her salivating excessively or experience some vomiting if she does lick it from her fur.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Published on August 29th, 2017
The shampoo may cause some gastrointestinal upset if ingested. You will likely need to rinse her again when she returns. Rinsing her in the tub with the bathroom door closed would be recommended.
If she does have some GI upset, fast her for 12-24 hours then feed a bland diet until symptoms resolve before transitioning slowly to her regular diet.
You can sprinkle some dry food into a tin and rattle it while calling her name to coax her out.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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

If the solution you used was a dish soap (such as Dawn here in the US), she should be fine until you can get to her again. It may cause mild GI upset if she grooms it or mild skin irritation. If you notice redness, sores, or hives, then she may need to be seen by a veterinarian. Good luck!

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I'm so sorry that Simba is not going well. You didn't mention how long ago he might have ingested the soap. We will see mostly GI signs (vomiting and diarrhea) with most soap ingestions, but some soaps have ingredients that cause damage to the lining of the GI tract and can require much more intensive treatment. I would recommend contacting a poison control center with the exact ingredients in the soap and see if they can tell you how worried you need to be about the soap ingestion. https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control Since Simba is a kitten, he needs to be taken to a vet right away if he isn't eating or drinking. Kittens can get dehydrated very quickly, which can be very dangerous. Good luck!

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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!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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