Salt, while a wonderful companion to food and fun (making home made playdough for example), should never be given to our cat and dog friends. Salt is rapidly absorbed into the blood stream after it is eaten. It can cause issues with multiple organs including the stomach, intestines (leading to irritation of these areas), and the brain. In the brain, excessive amounts of salt can easily lead to dehydration of the brain cells and possible bleeding within the brain if the dehydration becomes too severe. Other organs affected can include the lungs, heart, kidneys, and muscles for example. Clinical signs to watch out for include vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite, lethargy, depression, muscle tremors, difficulty walking, increased rigidity of muscles, jerky muscle movements, seizures, and coma. In some animals, problems with breathing, abnormal heart rate and rhythm, increased body temperture, and increased thirst and urination can be seen. Symptoms are noted anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours after ingestion.