My cat ate ribbon. What signs mean an emergency vet visit is needed?

Poor girl. Unfortunately the only thing you can do now is to monitor her for any signs of a foreign body obstruction, which includes excessive vomiting, lethargy, lack of appetite, or small stool size. If you see these symptoms then a vet visit is recommended to have testing done and determine if she will need surgery to remove the cloth that she ingested. I hope that she will be ok. Best of luck to you moving forward with Nala, and keep a close eye on her in the next few days for any changes. Take care.

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Ingested string is a very serious concern as it has the potential to cause an obstruction in the gastrointestinal tract which may require surgery. You will need to visit your nearest emergency veterinarian to induce vomiting as soon as possible. After 2 hours, inducing vomiting will have little to no effect as the string will have likely passed through her stomach. Best of luck to you and Oreo!

If the X-rays are still looking ok at this point, and he is eating, no vomiting, not painful, and is active and happy, its reasonable to just keep monitoring him. That is very concerning, and you do need to watch him very very closely. If he does start to show a decrease in appetite, or starts vomiting or straining to defecate or having diarrhea, take him back to your vet, and X-rays will need to be repeated. In the meantime, just ensure that he has plenty of water available to drink; put multiple water dishes throughout the house, and maybe offer him some canned food as well. The better hydrated he is, the healthier his bowel will be to function and tolerate the foreign material. Again, do watch him very closely. If he did ingest that large a piece of ribbon, he will be very lucky if he's able to pass that without incident. (but its possible!) My fingers are crossed for you!

The problem with these streamers is that they can cause a linear foreign body, which leads to symptoms such as lethargy, anorexia, diarrhea, and vomiting. It could have been painful to have that streamer removed from his behind, which may be why Theo is hiding. I would monitor him for now, and if he hasn't passed any more streamers by tomorrow, I would have him seen by a vet for a physical exam and x-rays. If the streamers are causing a linear foreign body in his intestines, he will need surgery to remove them.

I don't know the answer to your question because I don't know how much ribbon he ate. If he passed ribbon in the stool and that was all he ate then he is very lucky! If he passed some ribbon but there is more inside then it could be stuck and that would be an emergency. If he is eating/drinking and acting normally (no vomiting or lethargy) then I would say he is likely OK but you must understand I cannot say that for sure without examining him myself. The best advice I can give you is that if you are worried you should take him to the vet now. It is better to be safe than sorry. As for the diarrhea, it will most likely clear up on it's own within a day or so. If you want to get him a probiotic and feed that for the next week you can do that. You can use any probiotic made for cats (no human products and no dairy). They can be purchased at any pet store. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

I would have Charlie seen by a vet right away for this. A piece of shirt this long can easily cause a linear foreign body, and if it does create an obstruction, he would need surgery to remove it. It's best to avoid that completely, and the vet can determine if it's safe to give him a shot to induce vomiting to get it out of his stomach. Good luck!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Zula! If she is extremely lethargic and is vomiting a lot she should go to the ER today. If she seems ok and the vomiting is minimal she should she your Vet first thing in the morning in case she needs surgery. I wish you the best of luck!