History: Indoor-only cat. See playing with spool of sewing thread. Cat now, lethargic, anorexic, vomiting.
Clinical Exam: Cat mildly depressed, dehydrated, no palpable mass abdomen.
Diagnostic Findings: CBC results normal, except for elevated PCV; blood chemistry results showed no significant findings. Suspicious "pleating"/"accordion"/"fan" GI pattern associated with linear foreign body obstruction was noted on radiograph.
Diagnosis: Linear GI Foreign Body
Treatment: IV fluids started, patient placed under general anesthesia & vitals monitored, surgical site prepped, GI tract examined from stomach to colon, several sites along small intestines determined to contain foreign material, material removed vial multiple enterotomy sites, GI tract fully re-examined and appears healthy (no resections necessary), abdominal incision closed, patient placed in hospital recovery cage. After 24 hours of post-op monitoring, IV fluid therapy to correct dehydration, IV antibiotics and pain medication, patient released with prescription antibiotics and pain medication, as well as a soft, easy-to-digest bland diet for 5 days.
Patient Recommendations: Restrict access to string, thread, ribbon, dental floss, etc.; monitor appetite and behavior/activity level. Keep e-collar on cat until surgical staples are removed (cats are notorious over-groomers of wounds and surgical sites and can cause detrimental self-trauma requiring additional surgery to correct). Continue to keep cat as well activity-restricted as possible (restrict to large dog kennel if cat is running or jumping too much) to prevent dehiscence of incision site as it heals for 5-7 days; recheck incision site with vet in 3 days; surgical staples to be removed in 7-10 days. Bland diet should be continued for 3-5 days, then a slow transition to cat's regular diet over the following 3-5 days. Have cat rechecked immediately if relapse of previous symptoms: lethargy, anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea or lack of stool, abdominal pain, reluctance to jump up onto objects.
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Client Education:
Foreign Body Obstructions: GI foreign body obstructions can happen to any pet. Consumption of inanimate objects can be due to many reasons, such as GI upset (some animals consume unusual items when nauseated), boredom or anxiety (this most commonly happens to unkenneled pets who experience separation anxiety or storm phobia while the owner is away from home), damage to a toy (for example, cloth tug toys can be easily consumed once they have become damaged and begin to unravel), or because they appear appealing or consumable (often this can happen when toys or other objects have food on them, such as children's clothes or toys or when a dog raids the garbage can).
Many owners encourage cats to play with string-like objects, but this can come at a price. Cats have a particularly difficult time when playing with objects such as sewing thread, ribbon, yarn, dental floss, holiday tinsel, and rubber bands because of naturally-occurring barbs on their tongue. The barbs on a cat's tongue point backwards into the back of the mouth to allow them additional assistance in holding onto prey, but this is a double-edged sword, when it comes to string-like objects. Once these types of objects enter the oral cavity, the barbs act like velcro, gripping onto the surface of the item. This often renders the cat unable to expel the item from the oral cavity and consequently, they must swallow it. Another thing to remember is sewing thread can also be attached to a needle, which can puncture your cat's esophagus, intestinal tract or internal organs.
To avoid these problems, keep all string-like items safely stored out of the reach of your cat and don't use tinsel to decorate your Christmas tree, inspect your pet's toys regularly and only allow access to easily-damaged toys under direct supervision, kennel easily stressed or scared animals when you're away from home, restrict access to children's rooms and toys and to tempting items such as trash cans.