My cat ate cooked meat gristle from outside. Is it an emergency?

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If Lily has not developed any gastrointestinal symptoms, like vomiting, constipation, diarrhoea, lack of appetite there is nothing to worry about. The bones she ate have been digested by now.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would recommend that you monitor her for signs of a gastrointestinal obstruction such as vomiting, nausea and/or abdominal pain. If any of these are observed, have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Otherwise, she could be just fine. Have a great day!

A small as the bone is, I suspect they will be okay. Cats are less likely to swallow bones in large pieces than dogs . I would keep an eye on them and take them in if they seem sick. In the meantime you can feed them some extra dry food to help bulk up the contents of their gastrointestinal tract to help any bone bits to pass more easily.

Hi, and thanks for your question. These signs could be compatible with an inflammation of the gastrointestinal system and a possible obstruction. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is immediately essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics and possibly further investigations (like abdominal imaging as ultrasound or radiographs) may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sometimes if the foreign material is small enough compared to the size of the patient, it may be digested or passed in the stools. This will of course take 24-48 hours to be determined. You can monitor her closely for clinical symptoms that could indicate an obstruction such as nausea (lip smacking, decreased appetite and/or drooling), vomiting, inappetence, lethargy and/or abdominal pain. If you see any of those clinical symptoms, have her evaluated by a veterinarian right away. Otherwise, if she is acting normal, it is ok to continue to monitor her for now. She should be using the litter box soon. I really hope she is able to pass the foreign body. Good luck and have a good night!

Unfortunately there is nothing you can do about this situation. It's not recommended to induce vomiting because the bone could get caught in Furman's esophagus, and/or cause damage on the way up. You can only watch him to see if there are any problems from this ingestion. If you see any blood in his feces, he becomes anorexic, he start vomiting, there is blood in his vomit, he has diarrhea, and/or he becomes lethargic, you will need to take him into a vet immediately. It can take up to 72 hours for signs of an obstruction or perforation to appear, so watch him closely over this time. Best of luck, I hope this helps.

Luckily is was only a short piece of fringe. Usually when cats eat strings and yarn that cause intestinal perforations the length is longer than two inches. If there is a medical problem she will become painful, stop eating and may not poop regularly. She should be out of the woods in another day or two. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Maisy.