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"Smokey" is a 7 year old female, spayed Persian cat. She was brought to Metairie Small Animal Hospital because she began vomiting shortly after Christmas. Physical exam revealed dehydration from vomiting. Abdominal radiographs were taken and showed that her colon and the end of her intestine were very distended. This concerned the attending veterinarian because it could indicate a possible intestinal foreign body. Barium was given orally and radiographs were repeated over a period of several hours. These radiographs showed no movement of the barium out of the stomach, indicating a possible obstruction. A photo of the radiograph appears below.
Smokey was taken to surgery immediately to explore her abdomen. In surgery, a large amount of Christmas ribbon was found obstructing her intestine. The ribbon was successfully removed, and Smokey has been recovering well from the surgery.
The cat's tongue contains stiff hairs that point toward the back of its throat which aid in grooming it's hair coat. The problem is that when a cat picks up ribbon or tinsel, these hairs hold on to the object. Instead of being able to spit it out, the cat swallows and continues to swallow the entire piece of ribbon/tinsel. Once inside the cats G.I. tract, these things can cause a life threatening obstruction. In Smokey's case, she was very lucky that her owners noticed a problem and brought her in before the foreign body cause too much damage.
Because foreign body obstruction is such a serious problem, we strongly advise cat owners not to use tinsel on their Christmas trees, unless of course it is in an area that your cat does not frequent. String, ribbon and yarn should also be kept our of your cat's reach. Easter grass can also cause problems and should be used with caution if you have cats in your home.
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