What to Do If Your Cat Swallows a Foreign Object

1 Overview

Symptoms: attempts to vomit with nothing coming up; lethargy; loss of appetite; difficulty breathing and cyanosis (lack of oxygen turns the tongue, oral mucosa, and gums bluish-purple).

Treatment for swallowed foreign objects

(1) Remove the object: If you see the object stuck in the mouth, remove it with tweezers or your fingertips. But be careful not to move it, as that could injure the cat’s mouth — hold the cat still so it can’t move. (2) Oxidant solution: If the cat swallowed a non-sharp, non-chemical object (not acids, alkalis, petroleum products, etc.) that doesn’t irritate the throat, you can use a hydrogen peroxide solution as first aid. Within one hour of swallowing, give 1–2 ml of 3% solution per kg of body weight. The cat won’t swallow voluntarily, so use a dropper at the corner of the mouth and hold the mouth closed, tilting the head upward to make it swallow.

(3) Endoscopic removal: If you’re sure the cat hasn’t vomited the object and it’s unlikely to pass naturally in the stool, an endoscope and forceps can be used to remove it. If the object is large, abdominal surgery may be needed.

(4) Gastric lavage: A tube is inserted through the mouth or nose and saline is forcibly flushed into the stomach to rinse it. Hold the mouth lower than the chest, then inject and siphon 15–20 times until the rinse fluid runs clear. This is usually done in emergencies, when the cat doesn’t respond to emetics or has ingested a lethal poison.

(5) Adsorbent: Use activated charcoal, which adsorbs toxic substances and prevents their absorption from the intestines. It works against organophosphates, strychnine, ethylene glycol (antifreeze), arsenic, and pesticides, but not cyanide. Mix 1–8 g of activated charcoal per kg of body weight with water and give as a suspension. Because of its bitter taste, a gastric tube is usually used.

(6) Laxatives: The goal is to expel the charcoal that has adsorbed toxins as quickly as possible. Agents used include sodium sulfate, magnesium sulfate, magnesium oxide, sorbitol, and lactulose. (Castor oil is contraindicated in acute poisoning because it can accelerate absorption of fat-soluble drugs.)