What to do if the cat swallowed the thread

The sight of a pet merrily running after a ball of yarn always brings a happy smile to the owners’ faces. But, unfortunately, these items are extremely dangerous for cats.

How to understand that a cat ate a thread

Owners often may not even notice that their cat has eaten the string. So how do you understand that such a nuisance has happened to your pet? The most common sign that a cat has eaten thread is vomiting. In addition, the cat may have a stomach ache, so you need to pay attention to her attempts to hide or displays of unusual aggression when she is picked up. In some cases, the animal may experience bloody diarrhea.

The cat swallowed a thread: risks

If a pet swallows the thread, problems will only arise if one part of the thread gets stuck in the area between the mouth and the gastrointestinal tract, and the other goes further into the intestines, as the thread can catch on the base of the cat’s tongue.

One of the most serious problems in the event that a cat swallows a thread is a condition that veterinarians call a linear foreign body in the gastrointestinal tract. It can lead to intestinal obstruction. 

Usually one end of the thread gets stuck, wrapped around the base of the tongue or caught on the pylorus (that is, the part of it that leads to the small intestine). Peristaltic waves (peristalsis is the involuntary contraction and relaxation of the intestinal muscles) created by the intestines try to move the free end of the thread along the intestinal tract. But due to the fact that the front end is stuck, the thread is not pushed through. 

In this case, the intestines will “string” on a thread or gather into folds, as a result of which the thread will be impossible to pull out. It can stretch even more and increase the risk of intestinal perforation, that is, the formation of a puncture in the intestine.

Swallowing thread can also cause a serious condition called intussusception. It leads to a strong contraction of a particular section of the intestine when trying to move along a stuck foreign body. If no action is taken, this section of the intestine can “invest” in the neighboring section, which will lead to partial or complete obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract, impaired blood flow in the affected area of ​​​​the intestine and tissue death. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, intussusception can be fatal.

A suture stuck in a cat’s gastrointestinal tract poses a rather difficult situation for the veterinarian due to the risk of perforation and difficulty in removing it, according to VIN. Cats that frequently ingest such foreign bodies may experience discomfort from malnutrition, dehydration, or peritonitis, as well as complex surgical procedures that can endanger their lives. Cats that play and swallow.

The cat ate thread: what to do

In no case should you try to pull the threads yourself. Trying to remove the thread yourself creates a lot of risks: damage to the esophagus, as well as choking or vomiting in the cat, which can lead to aspiration pneumonia, that is, a lung infection.

You must immediately go to the veterinary clinic, after calling there to inform about the situation. Upon arrival, the cat will be examined by a veterinarian. The pet may need anesthesia – this will allow the clinic specialists to carefully examine the oral cavity, including the area under the tongue.

The cat ate a thread: surgery or treatment

If the veterinarian cannot locate the thread and the incident is recent, the animal may vomit. If some time has passed since the incident, the doctor will try to remove the thread using an endoscope – a flexible tube with a camera attached to it, which is inserted into the stomach through the mouth. 

If a thread is found during endoscopy, it can be safely removed. Although this procedure is necessarily performed under anesthesia, it is short and safe. In most cases, the furry patient is sent home by the end of the day. After any procedure performed under anesthesia, the cat may experience slight lethargy, decreased appetite, or a raspy meow for one to two days. As a rule, after this procedure, no special changes in the daily routine or medication regimen are required.

If the cat is already showing signs of illness by the time it arrives at the clinic, your veterinarian may recommend an abdominal ultrasound. An alternative option is contrast-enhanced x-rays, that is, x-rays using a contrast dye to highlight organs. If the thread was swallowed more than two or three days ago, or the cat is clearly unwell as a result of the incident, the specialist will most likely suggest surgery. The sooner it is done, the better.

After the operation, the pet will probably have to stay in the clinic for a few days so that the specialists can make sure that there are no serious complications and the full restoration of bowel function. Home care may include giving your cat pain medication and antibiotics in addition to a highly digestible food such as Hill’s Prescription Diet i/d.

The cat plays with threads: how to protect it

Some tips to help keep your cat safe and not worry about her health:

• Use toys with food. They stimulate the animal’s mental activity and encourage slower absorption of food, which often reduces problems with vomiting after eating.
• Other safe toy options include crinkle balls, plastic milk bottle caps, catnip mice and other toys you can chase around the house, and feathered sticks.
• Do not allow your cat to play with Christmas serpentine, yarn, toys on a string and toys with sewn or glued accessories, as an energetic cat can easily tear them apart.
• Keep all coils of rope and balls of yarn out of the cat’s reach. This includes dental floss, sewing thread and fishing line.

Kittens, with their virtually limitless energy and curiosity, are at greater risk of ingesting a linear foreign body. But it is important to protect cats of any age from the dangers associated with swallowing any kind of thread. This requires choosing toys approved by veterinarians and being able to recognize signs of gastrointestinal obstruction. If the owner thinks that the pet has swallowed the thread, you should immediately contact your veterinarian.

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