My Cat is Having Intestinal Surgery

jodig

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My cat Carly had to have emergency surgery this morning because she had a thin piece of thread coming out of her butt! Last night she was rubbing her butt on the ground and not to be gross but I thought it was just a piece of poop that was stuck and then I realized it was a piece of poop with a string attached to it. I tried to gently pull (this is not advised, it can do damage!) and that was not happening so I called the vet who told me to NOT PULL and to bring her in first thing this morning and I did.

I knew it could be dangerous and that the doctor wanted to do X-Rays but I was still so upset when he called and said he had to open her up. So of course I have been googling since last night and this is a major surgery. Very scared. I'm just hoping everything works out and I can bring her home tomorrow.

No clue where she found thread at. I haven't sewn anything in months, not even a button.  My husband and I were joking around this morning calling her String Butt. Here I am thinking the doctor could maybe lube her up and get the string out manually but no such luck.

Anyway, just a word of caution: Cat's eating string is some serious business. Most often they will probably pass it without too much issue but sometimes it can get caught on something and damage the intestines. Carly happens to be seriously constipated most days which I think compounded the situation.
 
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pushylady

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Scary how such a simple thing can be so dangerous.
:vibes: for Carly. Let us know how the surgery went.
 
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jodig

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Thank you all for your kind words. They mean so very much to me! I will update when I hear something.
 
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jodig

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I just called the doctor. Surgery went well and she even ate a little bit which is good news. He wants to observe her for a day so they said I can pick her up tomorrow at around 3:30.

Hopefully she will be back to her old self in no time!
 

mosimom

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Poor little girl. It is great that she is eating already. It is better that she stays at the vet so she can be on an IV. It helps them to recover faster with hydration and electrolytes. Rest up for the showdown with the cone, medicine, and monitoring that is to come over the next 14 days.
 
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jodig

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I'm not much looking forward to the next 2 weeks but we'll get through it! She had bladder surgery to remove a stone when she was about 3 years old then had to be put under again when her incision did not heal properly. She is now 10 and otherwise very healthy just unlucky. Thank you everyone for your support. I will post a recovery pic of my babes tomorrow.
 
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jodig

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So she's back from surgery and acting OK but she is turning her nose up at food.

My issue is that plus the fact that the poor dear peed in her carrier on the way home and she was covered in it. Also, it was the most foul smelling urine I ever smelled. I've tried wiping her with a warm wash cloth with a touch of mild scented baby shampoo and non scented baby wipes but she still stinks! Normally I would trust her to clean herself but she has a cone on so she is limited.

Anyone have any tips? Vinegar? Corn starch? She is in the bathroom right now and I would let her out if she didn't smell so bad. :(
 

pushylady

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Not too surprising that it smells so bad- I find when they're stressed their urine/poop can get awful. I don't know if I'd want to wash her too much right now, just give her a chance to rest. She's probably quite sensitive from the surgery. Maybe try again tomorrow with the gentle shampoo or Dawn dish liquid if you've got any. She should actually do OK being left in the bathroom for a day as her recovery room.
 
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jodig

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Here is a pic from after her surgery. I bought some special wipes made for cats and she smells much better. She is being very good about the cone but I know it bothers her. I am making sure to scratch her head and neck for her a lot cause she can't do that herself with the cone on. :(

 
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