Cat Ate Laundry Bag Cord - Help!

[ileen]

Had a call from the vet a short while ago asking permission to sedate. All they could do is listen to his heart without it. He wasn't letting them near his mouth for an exam and wouldn't be still for x-rays.

 

[valentine319]

Light sedation shouldn't hurt. Hope all goes well.

 

[ileen]

Oh I know, he gets sedation to get his nails trimmed at the vet, it's nothing new for him. I do hate how he is afterwards, and it is another expense. My dream is to be able to get him relaxed enough that I can one day do his nails myself, sans sedation.

 

[ileen]

Heard back from the doctor -
Luciano has partial small intestine dilation - middle of small intestine, hypersegmentation of the duodnem is medical terminology. His stomach is slightly distended as well

While there's not full blockage, it possible some of the cord is making its way through small intestine to colon, but some is left behind in stomach attached by thin string & is pulling the part moving through the intestine back towards the stomach.

The options are:
surgery
barium series - put dye in stomach, see if it goes through, possible that would move stuff in the stomach along
ultrasound
wait & see if he passes, although we’ve waited some already so probably won’t pass on its own

He was given cerenia for vomiting. If he vomits while he's on this, it means there's really something wrong in there.

 

[valentine319]

Our thoughts are with you. Let us know how it goes when you decide how to go forward.

 

[ileen]

We went with the barium series, which will happen today. He stayed at the hospital last night. I hope they are able to give him nutrition while he's there since he wasn't eating. It was so strange coming home last night & waking up this morning to a cat-free environment.

 

[orange&white]

Awww. I know the house seems so empty when they aren't there. He'll be home soon, good as new.

 

[foxxycat]

Hope it goes well and he passes it without surgery. So very sorry to hear.

 

[PumpkinsMum]

Oh no! I'm super sorry about that My cat is always getting into things and I'm surprised he hasn't been in the hospital more often. You're in our thoughts! Let us know what happens.

 

[ileen]

Well, he's home! Aside from a shaved bit on his left paw for the IV, he seems the same. He's down to about 13.5 pounds. The vet told me she pulled a long string from his butt while he was still sedated for the catheter removal. I hope that's the last of it. He pooped soon after coming home even though she said he probably wouldn't until tomorrow. There didn't seem to be any string in there. The bill came to $2K

 

[orange&white]

Oh my. Vet care is so expensive these days. The most important thing is that he is going to be all right now. That's a big relief and I'm sure you're very happy to have him back home. And he's got to be really really happy to be home too!

 

[ileen]

I am happy to have him home! He's exploring all over the apartment since he's been home. The vet said he might be a bit groggy from the sedation, but not him. He's smelling everything and has climbed up the ladder to the living room loft four times & the bedroom loft once. He even did the 48" horizontal leap from the bedroom loft to the roof of my bedroom closet nine feet in the air, so he's not feeling any pain. There is a faint odor that I smelled Wednesday when I took him in. I thought it was because he hadn't been grooming himself. I think he didn't do a lot of grooming at the hospital, where he was either sedated or terrified. He has been grooming himself a lot since coming home. I haven't heard him purring yet though. That's when I'll know he's really back to normal.

 

[pushylady]

Poor guy, he's been through a lot! And you of course with worrying (and ouch on that bill). I'm glad he's gotten sorted out now and is OK.

 

[ileen]

Yes, he seems to be in fine spirits, and has been purring since Sunday. Now it's up to me to make sure anything approximating string is locked away, only accessible to those with opposable thumbs.

 

[Kieka]

YAY!