My cat swallowed a balloon. Could pulling it out cause injury?

Hello. Pancakes should be able to pass this as it is pretty small & pliable. If it has been more than a few hours since she ate the balloon, it is possible it has already passed out of the stomach into the intestines. I have seen cases where kitties have vomited up strange things a week later. Just watch her over the next 5-7 days for a loss of appetite, lethargy, diarrhea, & protrusion of the third eyelids. These are the tissues in the inner corner of each eye & when you can see them covering at least half the eyes, it is a clear indication that Pancakes does not feel well. If she is still her spunky, adventurous self a week from now, all should be well. Just monitor her for anything concerning. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If he ate the balloon two weeks ago and is now vomiting than he should be examined by a vet right away. There is a chance the balloon is causing an obstruction and your vet can take an x-ray to determine the cause. If he has an obstruction, he will need surgery to remove the balloon.

Once he threw up the balloon and the entire length of string, he should be fine. The offending foreign body has left his gastrointestinal system. However you should really check your house for any more items like that including string, as a linear foreign body (string causing an intestinal blockage) is a serious problem and would need surgery to remove. So since your kitty regurgitated the entire string and balloon he should be okay.

Poor Dexter! Thank goodness you were able to see the string and get it out safely. As long as there was no major resistance when you were pulling it out and he is acting normal now, he should be just fine. If you see any vomiting, difficulty eating, or if he seems painful or lethargic during the next 24 hours, then I would recommend having him checked by a vet to see if there is any internal damage.

Definitely do not pull the plastic out. It could be anchored "further up" and you may do significant damage to her gastrointestinal tract by pulling on it. Monitor her closely over the next day or so for lethargy, vomiting, and decreased or absent appetite, and check the litterbox to see that she eventually does poop it out. If you don't see the plastic, or any of those signs develop, take her in to your veterinarian.

A small piece should be able to pass sometime in the next 12-36 hours. Monitor for lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite or abdominal pain. These are symptoms that should be addressed by your veterinarian.

Poor Lota! This fabric craft ball could have been causing her vomiting, as it wouldn't be easy for her to pass through her GI system. Given that she is acting normal, I would continue to monitor for her now. You can feed her a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) in small amounts several times a day for a couple days, then slowly add back in her normal diet. If she starts vomiting again, becomes anorexic, stops drinking water, starts vomiting water, or becomes very lethargic, I would have Lota seen by a vet immediately.