5ft string, no symptoms

[konicki]

I've seen and read a lot of information online about this particularly popular issue (foreign linear body) and my thoughts go out to anyone who has dealt with it before, because it seems to be a pretty stressful waiting game.

For starters, my cat is a Russian Blue and I live in Korea.  72 hours ago my cat ate a thin, very light, five foot long thread it had pulled from one of my chairs.  I practically fed it to him which makes me feel horrible, i just had no idea it posed the danger it did.  We were playing with it one moment, then i went to put on my jacket, turned around and gone!

I have visited 2 separate vet here and they both said similarly that if he doesn't show the common signs: not eating, vomiting, lack of energy; that there is nothing they can do.  And rightly so, he hasn't shown any signs.  He is eating normally, going to the bathroom normally, acting normal.

My question then is, having seen no sign of string in his litter box, and having not noted any of the symptoms, how long can it take for a cat to experience these symptoms and is it possible that because the thread was so light that it dissolved and was digested normally with the rest of his food?  

I hate the waiting, but they don't want to do x-ray because apparently a thin thread would not show up and for a camera down the throat they wanted between 4 - 5 hundred dollars... yikes.

Thanks.

 

[jenmae21]

  I have long hair that my cat  must accidentally eat once in a while, because sometimes she passes it in her poo.  A few times she's had "danglers" because of it...if you want me to explain that I will, but I think you can probably imagine what I mean.   

Also, I knew a cat once who swallowed a string, and had to have the surgery...it was stuck around his tounge and gagging him so he couldn't eat or drink.  He was like that for over a week and quickly lost weight and became despondent.  We knew there was something wrong, but it took some time, even a couple different vet trips for us to figure out what was wrong (at first we thought he ate a house plant and was vomiting from that).

If the string was thin and not very strong your cat might be ok, he might be digesting it or passing it.  Keep watching him!  If he starts to get low, you will see it.  If he starts having symptoms, then you can take him back and get x-rays and the vet will be able to see if his guts are bunching up or not.  

Keep calm!  keep watching!  

best of luck.

 

[catapault]

Yikes! I'd be worried too.

Do you have any idea what the upholstery material is made of? If it is a natural fiber - cotton,linen, wood - it might be more digestible than if it is synthetic.

And - let's think positive here - he might have shoved the string into some corner, under the edge of the rug, whatever - and not actually swallowedit.

Keep watching. Fingers crossed for continued lack of symptoms.

And oh, by the way, welcome to TheCatSite! Sorry it's such a scary incident that brought you here. Hope you come visit some more, with happy news (and a picture of your pretty boy.)

 

[konicki]

Thank you for the replies.

Yes, it isn't the best of occasion for having posted, although it is nice to see and hear about other things to look out for.  Sorry to those experiencing the problems, but I really wish I had read these forums before hand to actually read about how dangerous string can be!

I think that the string material was possible natural.  I cannot be positive as I cannot seem to find another like it on the chair... weird.  Parts of this make me think ive imagined this entire thing, but it is was not a hard thread because i remember the end of it looking worn and transparent, so like that it practically floated in the air. 

I have seen small, thinner then hair, strings in his stool, but less than a half a centimeter and barely visible.

I asked for an x-ray but they said that it wouldn't show up, and then when i asked about possible operations they said the chances were 50/50 which kind of left me in an odd, confused mood.

I searched all over my apartment for the string, high and low, and didn't find it.... arg.  I just wonder, could it stay in his stomach for years before he showed any symptoms!?

Thanks again and ill make my profile pic one of him, Rude is his name!