Had to call the ASPCA poison control again

Good grief. Queen Eva ate some foam rubber. I THINK. I am not positive because I did not see her do it, but I caught her with a piece in her mouth, and the other slivers are no where to be found. They are not big pieces, just thin slivers I shaved off an edge of a project.

My goodness I am practically obsessive about checking the house for threads, strings, pins, tacks, rubber bands and so on. And now this.

Anyway, I didn't want to make myself sick with worry so I made the call. I found out the foam rubber is not toxic, thank goodness for small favors. The danger of course is impaction in the bowel, if the pieces were large enough. They really weren't very big, not long, and very thin shavings.

So I am to feed her larger than normal meals if I can get her to eat more at one time. I am to add fiber (I have pysllium here) to the meals three times a day for the next three days. Bulking the stool will help any foam pass through.

Watch for vomiting, lethargy, straining to defecate, bloody stool. If there is going to be a problem, it will show up in 2-3 days.

So far she is fine. To encourage her to eat a lot I gave her a food I don't normally let her have because it is fishy, and I don't encourage fishy in this house. It's the California Natural Venison and brown rice, though it smells like pure fish (fish is the second ingredient). I added the psyllium and a tablespoon of water and she gobbled it right up, and gobbled up another portion (did not add any more pysllium) too.

I think there will be no Christmas tree this year. I can't take the stress.

Oh, how worrisome. I hope it all turns out ok for your little one.

I'm thinking no Christmas tree this year also. Doesn't seem worth it, though I don't have any cats who eat things they shouldn't. It just seems like asking for trouble when one has so many.

Anyway, I hope she is fine. You have to wait 2-3 days to be sure?

Robin

Yes, that what she said, it would take 2-3 days before I would know if there were going to be any problems. So that would mean Sunday night at the earliest.

I've had that number right here on my wall for 13 years and never had to use it. Now I've used it twice in the past three months.

For anyone who doesn't have it, take it down now and put it next to your phone

ASPCA Animal Poison Control Hotline

1-888-426-4435

There is a $65 charge.

I wrote down the number and put it on the refrigerator. Thanks.

Was it for Queen Eva you had to call for before? She's young, right?

The waiting is going to be hard for you, I bet. Don't know what to say. Not a great weekend for you worrying about her.

I really hope she is fine. She probably will be.


Robin

No, last time I called was for Tolly, he had a severe reaction to Drontal broad spectrum dewormer.

I will be sure to keep this thread updated on how Queen Eva is doing.

I had a long work day scheduled for tomorrow originally but they canceled earlier this evening, due to sickness in the family. I am always so grateful when a family is considerate and cancels, rather than exposing me to their kid's illnesses! I'm especially grateful now, because I would have spent the entire day (from early morning to early evening) worried sick.

I can use vacation time, so no lost income.

Here is a bit of a cheaper alternative

http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/

I had to use this when one of my cats decided to eat Sticky Paws. They were quite helpful and very nice on the phone.

Originally Posted by hissy

Here is a bit of a cheaper alternative

http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/

I had to use this when one of my cats decided to eat Sticky Paws. They were quite helpful and very nice on the phone.

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OOHHHH..that must be the one someone else I know called, in another forum. She mentioned a $35 fee and I couldn't understand how that was possible, since I knew I had paid $65.

Good to know.

Originally Posted by otto

I think there will be no Christmas tree this year. I can't take the stress.

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Definitely no ribbon on any gifts! We haven't been able to put ribbon on anything since we've had cats, and if someone gives us a gift with ribbon, I immediately take it off.

Otto ... sending big hug...

For those who may need an even cheaper alternative... Call your local vet or ER vet ... or your local posion control number all have the books / tools to help... and Normally the Charge is None

About the ribbon, the same applies to tinsel, yarn, string, anything loose that looks like spaghetti. My personal feeling is when cats get near these items it triggers their prey response because a pile of string, ribbon, rubber bands or yarn resembles mouse innards. I don't think they can help going after these items so I keep all these away from my cats. I even cut off the tails of those toy mice that you buy for cats. That is always the first part of the toy my cats would go for- but they love the toy even when it is tailess.

I haven't had a Christmas tree in six years. We decorate our trees outside instead.

Just to ditto what sharky said.

Have called a few times over the years and have always been helped. If for nothing else the comfort of they have seen it and the cat was fine or needed xyz. Been lucky only needed to use er clinic two times(a office exam/meds/tests for angie and to euthanize her the next day).

Also even if YOUR local place isnt to helpful call around a few in the state if you are looking for advice(one place I called would give no more then she should be seen we cant advise on phone,also know ppl who go there and walk out every trip paying WAY to much so no surprise)

Thanks everyone. We don't have an ER vet center. All the vets in a three county area take turns being on call. You call your own vet number and get the exchange. The exchange calls the vet on call, and that vet calls you back.

If I'd called the vet on call last night at 11 pm I probably would have been told to call the ASPCA Animal Control Center. Maybe not, maybe the vet would have known what to tell me to do. But I needed to talk to a vet right away. If Queen Eva needed induced vomiting I needed to know right away (they did not recommend it).

And since it's their job to know, they knew right away that the stuff was not toxic. That gave me great peace of mind.

I'm not well off, but I don't mind paying the money for such a service. I do budget for emergencies, so I won't be left short of money when the bill comes in.

I am grateful they are there, and I have had good experiences every time I'm spoken to them. With Tolly's emergency I had to call back several times (they give you a case number, there is no fee for the extra calls) and each time the call was handled with professionalism and friendliness, as was the call this time.

I would go crazy with a job like that. Never knowing the outcome. It's bad enough on forums when people don't come back to update us.

I forgot to post the update in my last post, sorry!

I stayed up until 3 a.m. reading and watching her and she had a very wild Solitary Game time at 2:30 that went on until I finally went to bed at 3.

Queen Eva had her normal little poops this morning, but after a run around Game session with Tolly, started hanging out down by the litter box. I assumed she was having some cramping. I watched her carefully of course, and after a while she got in and had a large (for her) very smelly poop.

I didn't see any foam in it, (yes I picked it apart, much to her Great Interest, Mom whatcha doin? Hey Mom why ya doin that? brrrt brrrrt BRRRRRT!) but this poop had to have been the result of either the cat lax, or the psyllium meal, or perhaps both, as it was much larger than normal and smelled wrong, which, since I gave her different food last night, makes sense.

Afterward she sat down again as if her tummy bothered her, but she is now racing around kitten style again, with Tolly and Mazy, one of their Three Way Chase Me Chase You Games. Jennie too is playing, she has herself set up for an ambush should anyone get near her corner.

The poison control center said 2-3 days, so I will continue with the psyllium and hope for the best, but if she's already pooping out last night's midnight meal and psyllium I have hope that things are moving through her okay.

Thanks for your support everyone.

Big hugs to both of you. I can understand not wanting to get a Christmas Tree. I'm stressed just reading this thread! Poor you and Eva *big hugs*

Originally Posted by hissy

I haven't had a Christmas tree in six years. We decorate our trees outside instead.

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Decorating outside trees is actually more traditional.

For those that want to use ribbon on gifts: Stock up on 2-3 inch wide fabric ribbon they sell around this time of year. Use that on your gifts and gift bags. Depending on the person getting the gift and how you make the bow, the ribbon can often be reused.

You can replace garland with wide ribbon, too.

We don't put a tree up here. We gave up years ago because Tomas will do his best to destroy it.


I bet Eva didn't even eat any of the foam. I have memory foam around here that I'll use for various things. If I leave it unattended and uncovered some of the cats will claw and bite at it. No one has ever swallowed a piece because they don't the like the texture in their mouths. (I can tell none was swallowed because the pieces on the floor directly matched the holes they ripped out with nothing missing)

Originally Posted by strange_wings

We don't put a tree up here. We gave up years ago because Tomas will do his best to destroy it.

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My tree is just a 2 foot table top. All the ornaments are cat friendly, The cats, in fact are encouraged to play with the ornaments. Knocking them off for me to put back on. Here is a classic video of what Tolly delights doing every single day, while the tree is up:

I love My Tree

and I didn't worry about any of the others ever chewing on the light wires, but with her track record I worry about Queen Eva..

I bet Eva didn't even eat any of the foam. I have memory foam around here that I'll use for various things. If I leave it unattended and uncovered some of the cats will claw and bite at it. No one has ever swallowed a piece because they don't the like the texture in their mouths. (I can tell none was swallowed because the pieces on the floor directly matched the holes they ripped out with nothing missing)

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Well but that's just it. There are three or four slivers of foam rubber unaccounted for.

When I caught her she had a piece in her mouth, making those tongue-chewing motions you know how they do, and it is quite easy to envision that the thinner pieces might have kept going once they got on her tongue. The foam does kind of adhere, you know?

I snatched that one out of her mouth, and one out of her paws too.

In spite of her high activity level this morning I did get the sense that she was having some cramping and discomfort in her belly or abdomen, gas, I imagine, from the extra fiber. So earlier today I gave her a little blob of probios and rubbed her tummy for a few seconds (all she would allow as she was too busy to stop just then) and she seems more comfortable now.

Oh my! They do like to keep us on our toes, don't they? Glad she's pooping well and things seem to be moving along well. Keep us posted on how she's doing.

Gosh, I'm stressed just reading this - please update as you can. I've got the ASPCA number on my fridge now, too, thanks to you -- right next to my vet and ER vet numbers. Sure, I have to look up my own doctors' numbers, but kitties....right there in fluorescent orange!

Cute tree. But it wouldn't survive 7 cats. Tomas also attempted to chew the bristle/needles off the fake tree... While I know they'll pass, evident by me finding a couple in his stools back then, I don't want him using a fake tree as a giant tooth brush. (a real one would be even worse)

I hope you find that the foam pieces were just scattered under something.

For what it's worth I had a craft project scare the other night. There were no cats in the dinning room when I got up to use the bathroom. I thought I was safe. When I came back out Tanna had snagged a bobbin off the table and strung it out and around a couple chairs and the table. She had a little in her mouth (still attached to a chair leg) and spit that out so she could run off.

I was recovering dining room chair seats yesterday (the quick and dirty just staple on new material - did come out pretty nice, as long as you don't expect the fabric on the bottom to be tidy) - but I was paranoid about making sure every single staple was accounted for, and that no threads were hanging off anything, and that I knew where every screw was! And my two are 'senior' cats at about 7.