Cat Foreign Objects

Cats (especially kittens) can chew andswallow enough paraphernalia to stock a mod-erate-sized department store. If your cat hasswallowed a foreign object and is vomiting orattempting to vomit, coughing, bleeding frombody openings, or having abdominal pain orbreathing problems, a blockage or perforationof the digestive tract (esophagus, stomach, orintestine) may have occurred. See your veteri-narian immediately.

Cat Foreign Objects Home Remedies

You will usually need veteri-nary assistance. If you cannot reach a doctor,feed your cat a large meal of cat food and breador cotton balls soaked in milk or broth to coatthe object and cushion its passage through the digestive tract, so that it passes out in a bowelmovement without causing injury. This is especially important if you suspect that a pin orpiece of glass has been swallowed. Check withyour doctor as soon as possible and check thefeces daily for the object.

Cat Foreign Objects Treatment

Your doctor may take plain X-rays, do abarium series, or do ultrasound to determine

the position of the foreign object. Surgery isnecessary if the foreign object is too large ortoo sharp to pass out in the feces. Sometimesthe doctor can remove foreign bodies in the esophagus or stomach without surgery, by us-ing scopes. However, these are very expensive instruments and are usually available only atuniversity veterinary medical centers or somecentral hospitals.

Some doctors will expect the object topass with no problem and will discharge yourcat with instructions to check the feces daily.

Prevention

Do not give your cat chewable toys thatare small enough to be swallowed or toys thatmay splinter. Keep string and yarn away fromkittens (a string obstruction of the intestine isa very serious surgical emergency). Do notgive your pet bones to chew, because they arealso a frequent cause of digestive inflammationand obstruction. Watch your kittens carefully during the teething stage, because anything is "fair game" for swallowing. If you have a youngchild and a kitten in the house, you have double trouble - you need four eyes. After a playperiod, be sure that all your child's playthingsare accounted for and have not been chewed by your pet. After sewing, account for allthread and needles.