Baldness drug has cats licked

Vets have warned men using hair growth stimulants to keep their pets away from their head after a Sydney cat went into heart failure after licking its owner's scalp. 

Ed Dunn, of Bondi, thought Luna, his 11-year-old domestic shorthair cat was just being playful on August 3, when she started grooming his head.

The next morning Luna was off her food and had retreated to a corner of the Hair Loss.

A day later and she was gasping for air. 

Trying to think what could be wrong Mr Dunn remembered using a popular hair regrowth product containing an ingredient called Minoxidil, 24 hours before Luna licked his head.

Taking a punt, Ed and his wife, Madi, checked the internet and found an item noting that the drug was toxic for cats and dogs.

The couple took Luna to the Rose Bay veterinary clinic where she was treated and stabilised before being taken to the University of Sydney's veterinary teaching hospital.

Ken Cockwill, a senior clinical registrar, said Luna had congestive heart failure.

"We collected blood, put it on oxygen and pulled some fluid off the lungs," he said. "We took an ultrasound of the heart. Its blood pressure was really low." 

The cat, said Dr Cockwill "was critical for a couple of days. Without care it would have died."

It is believed that veterinary journals detail only two other cases of cats accidentally consuming Minoxidil in the world. Both died.

"Just be aware this is potentially toxic to cats, as well as dogs," said Dr Cockwill, who admitted he was "very surprised" and had had no idea how dangerous the drug could be to pets.

Luna, who is recovering well and expected to go Hair Loss today, is set to become famous.

"We would like to write it up as a case study in the Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care," said Dr Cockwill.

"It would be nice to publish it and get the word out."

Yesterday a relieved Mr Dunn said he would live with his thinning hair.

"I don't want to use it [Minoxidil] again."

But the bill for getting Luna well could prove to be hair raising.