Help!! How long to wait after vet visit

[Melsyboo]

Last night we took our cat to the vet..They were still open for appointments, so it wasn't an emergency visit, but we still had no appt..Anyway, a couple days ago I noticed that there was an empty spool of satin type 1/4" ribbon..I have no idea how much ribbon was left on the spool, but I know there was something. I searched everywhere and was convinced that my cat ate it. She tends to eat everything. Well, last night after coming home from work, she was acting odd. She then tried to vomit and I saw a piece of the string! I gently tried to pull it out, but it was stuck, so I let it go, not knowing what it was attached to. I grabbed my dad and he tried cutting it so she wouldn't ingest it again..I believe it fell out because my dad said he never cut it. I looked at it and there are 2 frayed ends, and no cut ends, so I assume it all came out..I immediately took her in..They did x-rays and they showed that her small intestines were "slightly bunched". stomach was empty and colon showed some poop. All else was normal. She was very traumatized by this..they gave her sedatives, pepto, and something to help her breathing settle down..they told us to watch her for any other signs, like not eating, pooping, more vomit, etc..well all last night she slept, this morning, she did poop normal, then went right back to sleep..no food or water since..she did vomit 1 time. It was a cloudy almost brown liquid...My question is How long do I wait for her to return to "normal"? Should I go back right away to the vet after just that 1 vomit or does it take a while for her system to settle down from all that happened last night? Thanks for any help

[Traci]

What was the sedative given, and did the vet say how long it would be active?

Pepto shouldn't be given to cats, it contains salicylates (an aspirin derivative) which can be deadly for cats. Next time you talk to this vet, ask him to look that up, all the new pepto products now contain salicylates.

If she is passing stool normally, this would be a good sign, but the vomiting should not continue. She should also be interested in eating at least small amounts and drinking. If she seems lethargic at all, get her back to the vet immediately for a new x-ray and/or barium series to see if there is an obstruction in the stomach or intestine.

[Melsyboo]

Hi there...It wasn't Pepto, I apologize..It was whatever they give to cats to settle their stomach..I don't have the invoice near me, but I know it wasn't pepto..I just used that word because I couldn't think of the correct name...Anyway, I did take her back to the vet a little while ago..They did another X-ray and her small intestines were even worse looking than before, so they are doing surgery. Hopefully, all goes well with that. It is amazing how many animals were in there with the same issue..There was a dog undergoing the same surgery, and then another dog waiting...unreal.

[Traci]

Sadly, Melsyboo, it happens every day. Cats are notorious for eating strings, owners must be diligent with cat-proofing their homes and keeping these items away from their cats.

I'm glad you took her back in, its always better to play it safe. Please update us when you can, hopefully she will have a fast recovery.

For future reference, never pull a string from a cat's mouth or rectum, since you do not ever know where the end is. In the rectum especially, it could be wrapped around an intestine, so it's imperative pets are taken to an emergency vet clinic ASAP. Please, cat-proof your home for strings and small objects she could be getting into.

[Melsyboo]

Surgery went well..They did not find any ribbon, but they did find what they think is felt..The Dr described it as a felt like substance. They found a small piece in her stomach, but said there was a large piece in her colon..They can't remove that, so she has to pass that in her stool. They are keeping her until she passes it. I am baffled at what this could have been..All her toys are in 1 piece and there is nothing missing from them. Not sure what else it could be that she ate! Does anyone know the recovery time for this type of surgery?

[Traci]

Sometimes it can be difficult to determine exactly what an item recovered from the stomach is, because the stomach acid will change it to some degree. As for the larger piece in the colon, did he say it was small enough to pass on it's own?

Check her toys again, especially mice toys.....check blankets, pillows, etc and any other items in your home that she may have been fond of. You said you had an empty spool of ribbon, so are there any other notions around in the area you found the spool? (also check trash cans, kitchen and bathroom)

Most recoveries from this surgery are uneventful, providing the cat was in good health prior to surgery, providing that no infections develop, and providing she is examined and her vitals checked frequently. It's good the vet is keeping her for monitorization, so he can keep an eye on her vitals and recovery. You need to be prepared that she will be painful in the abdomen, will have to feed her small amounts of food for the first couple days until her appetite is normal, and watch her incision area (sutures or staples will need to be removed in about 7-10 days)...your vet will give you post-op instructions before he releases her (be sure to ask for them when you pick her up). At the time of suture removal is the best indicator of healing, but you have to keep a close eye on her at home.

[Melsyboo]

Hello, yes the Dr said it was able to be passed. They said it was broken down, that's why it was too hard for them to identify exactly what it was. While she was at the hospital, we went through the house and put away anything that we thought she could get at. The spool she got was on it's own with nothing else around it. As for her toys, I went through them all and removed anything that could come off, bells etc. If the toy looked too ratty, I just trashed it. She doesn't have that many anyway.

I picked her up yesterday around 6PM. She was very happy to see me. When she got home, it was like nothing was wrong. She immediately started eating and drinking..She still has not gone to the bathroom, except to urinate. They told me to just keep an eye out and make sure she is not straining when she does finally go. The fact that she is eating is good, so eventually, she'll have to go to the bathroom. She seems very well, though. She walks around and is getting a bit playful, but I am trying to keep her calm and not make her run around too much. I took today off from work, just to keep an eye on her and make sure she is ok. The rest of the week, I have someone who will be here all day to keep an eye on her as well. So, so far all is well. Once she goes to the bathroom I will be even more at ease!

Thanks for all the help and suggestions!

Melissa

[Traci]

If she doesn't produce a stool either tonite or tomorrow morning, call your vet back first thing. He may suggest giving her Laxatone and/or canned food only until she passes a stool, or even a new x-ray to determine if the obstruction is actually moving through the colon.

Watch her closely, and try to keep her activity limited since you don't want her sutures to be ripped open. Watch her incision area every day for signs of infection, swelling, bruising or leaking blood/pus, in which you'd want to get her back to your vet immediately.

[Melsyboo]

Chloe is doing great! She did finally produce a stool the following morning..I checked before I left for work. She has been going regularly ever since! She is eating normal as well. Each day her energy level gets better, although I try and keep her as calm as possible..Next week I'll take her to get the staples removed. Her incision looks great as well. I check a couple times a day to make sure there is no redness, swelling, or anything out of the ordinary.

[Traci]

Good news, thanks for the update