Ate the corner of a ziploc... How worried should I be?

[rosegold]

Last time Chill ate plastic, she threw it up a little while later and was fine... but I think this is a bit more plastic than last time. So I’m keeping an eye on her for now, but I’m worried. It’s Sunday afternoon here so the only option is the (super expensive) emergency vet.

In the past, when I have called this emergency vet for advice, they simply said they can’t give advice over the phone and I’d have to come in. So unfortunately that’s not an option.

Any opinions? Watch and wait, or take her in immediately? Here’s a picture of what’s left of the bag. Based on the way I’ve seen her chew plastic before, I’m thinking she ate it in little pieces rather than one big chunk, but who knows.

 

[rosegold]

Also, should I give her some hairball medicine to help it pass?

Right now she’s purring and making muffins and batting a toy around, but she did only eat it less than an hour ago.

 

[Margret]

Did you talk with your vet about it the last time it happened? If so, what did s/he say?

Do you live in North America? If so, you may want to try calling 1-785-532-5679; it's a free 24-hour poison control hotline for animals, operated by the Kansas State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, open to all pet owners in North America. What Is the Free Number for Poison Control for Animals?

Margret

 

[rosegold]

Did you talk with your vet about it the last time it happened? If so, what did s/he say?

Do you live in North America? If so, you may want to try calling 1-785-532-5679; it's a free 24-hour poison control hotline for animals, operated by the Kansas State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, open to all pet owners in North America. What Is the Free Number for Poison Control for Animals?

Margret

I didn’t talk to the vet about it. Actually last time I didn’t even know she has eaten plastic until she vomited it up a little while later, then I found the evidence. She was fine after that so I just kept an eye on her.

Unfortunately I don’t live in North America, thank you anyway though!

 

[Margret]

Rats! I just saw "Sunday afternoon" in your original post, and that can't be North America. In that case, I don't know what to suggest. Anybody else have experience with cats who eat plastic?

Margret

 

[Pouncecat1]

My cats chew on plastic without eating it. I'm very strict about picking up plastic and rubber bands are completely banned. Too dangerous to have in the house.

Keep an eye out for lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting,and diarrhea. If you don't see symptoms you are probably okay.

 

[Pouncecat1]

Yes I would consider going to the vet, if it's in the stomach they might be able to go in with a endoscope to retrieve it. My cat who has passed away from cancer used to eat newspaper. She had a permanent foreign body in her stomach on x rays. It did explain her chronic vomiting.

 

[BaileyCat]

I have a plastic eater. Only one time has she not thrown it back up. I didn't know she ate plastic.
I feed 3x a day. After the 3rd missed meal (she either puked her food or didn't eat at all), I made an appt. with the vet that day.
Just as I was getting ready to put her in a carrier, she pooped. It was a very hard round poop, with plastic in it. I took the poo and her to the vet. They x-rayed her just to be sure she passed it all. She did.

 

[rosegold]

Thanks everyone. It’s been about 2.5 hours and she hasn’t thrown it up. She’s acting totally normal from what I can tell... took a nap, ate some food and played like crazy with Clove, running around and wrestling... I’m hoping she passes it in her poop.

 

[Margret]

It's been ~16 hours since your last post; how is Chilli doing?

Margret

 

[rosegold]

It's been ~16 hours since your last post; how is Chilli doing?

Margret

Thank you for asking! She’s been acting totally fine so I just kept her home and monitored her closely. This morning she had a very normal poop in the litter box... with a big piece of plastic in it. Hopefully that’s all of it, but I’m still keeping an eye on her. I think we dodged a bullet this time.

 

[Meowmee]

Wew! Glad she is ok. Quinn chews things and I have to watch him a lot. He ate some dessicants as a kitten which ended up with a $500 er visit fortunately he was ok. Now I throw away dessicants, rubber bands and anything else I have seen him ever trying to chew that could be ingested. But it is hard because I have so many nicknacks, fortunately he has no interest in chewing most of them.

 

[Margret]

Thank you for asking! She’s been acting totally fine so I just kept her home and monitored her closely. This morning she had a very normal poop in the litter box... with a big piece of plastic in it. Hopefully that’s all of it, but I’m still keeping an eye on her. I think we dodged a bullet this time.

I'm very glad to hear it!

Next time you visit her vet, you may want to ask about this. I suspect that the biggest danger would be if the plastic somehow created a blockage in her intestines, but I'm not a vet. Since Chilli seems to have an affinity for plastic it's likely that this will happen again sooner or later - best to be prepared. One of the things you should ask is whether some fur ball gel would help. (Possibly it would hurry things along enough to make it more likely to cause a blockage - a vet should know.) You also want to know whether it would be better to induce vomiting, and, if so, what is the best way to do that.

Margret