My cat ate a hairband, vomited, still distressed. Is it serious?

I am sorry to hear about Ruby. With a history of ingesting foreign objects in a kitty who is still vomiting then I would highly recommend a visit to her vet for an exam and x-ray. While she did vomit a piece of rubberband, we don't know if there is more of it in her intestinal tract causing problems or if she ate something else entirely. I would get her in to see her vet right away, because if she does have an obstruction, delaying treatment can cause further complications/risks. Best of luck!

Since your cat has a history of ingesting a foreign body and has been vomiting so frequently I would be concerned. I would recommend taking him in to the vet to be examined and have X-rays performed to rule out a potential intestinal blockage. If a blockage is present emergency surgery may be needed. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Yes you always have to be worried with potential foreign body ingestions. Hair ties are pretty small so the chance that they can cause blockages are slim, but they can still get stuck in the intestines and cause problems There are two possibilities at this point: 1) There is another hair tie still in there ( this will take some deductive reasoning in your part) that is stuck. 2) All hair ties have been expelled and your pet now just has an upset stomach due to dietary indiscretion. The odds are good because it is very small and had no sharp edges. With small foreign bodies it is recommended feed the pet a bulking agent like 1/2-1 loaf of bread or canned food that will help bind any additional objects within the GI tract and potentially help expel them out of the system. Good luck with your kitty and I hope that things will progress uneventful in the next couple of days. - Dr.H

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could have been due to a partial obstruction. If she vomited all the obstructing material (string) then she may be ok. However, if she continues to vomit, this may be due to an obstruction and further therapy may be needed. If the issue continues, I recommend that you have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Best of luck!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Tatum! The vomiting could be from residual irritation from the ribbon or there could be more ribbon that is causing an obstruction. It is also possible it is completely unrelated to the ribbon in general: intestinal parasites, hair ball, ate something else gross (plant, etc), pancreatitis, food allergy/intolerance, reaction to a new food/treat/table food. You can continue to watch him but if he continues to vomit or stops eating that is an emergency and he needs to see a vet for an exam and an X-ray to check for a blockage. I wish you the best!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I would definitely bring Milo to your veterinarian as soon as possible so they can induce vomiting and try to get the rubber bands out of his stomach. Rubber bands have the potential to become foreign body obstructions, meaning they can get stuck either in the stomach or intestines. If this occurs, this is a surgical emergency, which can cost several thousand dollars. There is a chance he could pass the rubber bands in his feces, but I do not believe it is worth the risk. If you are unable to get to a veterinarian within an hour, you can try to induce vomiting at home by giving him 1/2 of a teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide. I hope this is helpful!

I am mainly concerned about the elasticised bands, they could cause severe intestinal adhesion and eventually blockage. if the symptoms continue in the next couple days i would recommend taking Oscar to the vet in order to get it checked and have an xray done.