My cat ate my earbuds! What should I do if my cat swallowed an earbud?

Swallowing an earring is concerning because the stud could cause a puncture or perforation to the stomach or intestines. This needs to be monitored closely and the earring may need to be removed surgically or endoscopically. Vomiting can be caused by many things including eating the earring. Rust color could be from food or treats but it could also indicate blood. I recommend to have Deliahla examined today. She will need a radiograph to look for the earring, Best of luck.

Hi there! It is very difficult to tell whether something will pass through the intestinal tract or if it will get stuck. Some big things will just miraculously pass, and some small things will manage to get stuck! That being said, 2 months is a very young age, and a tiny kitten is far more likely to get something stuck. There are a couple of things you an do at this point. One would be to bulk your boy's diet just a little bit to help add some fiber to his diet. This will help his intestines move a bit faster, and provide some cushioning for the earring itself. Because a stud earring has that sharp edge on it, a 1/8th slice of plain wheat bread given twice a day will help to wrap around that earring a bit easier than something like canned pumpkin or Metamucil might do. Look for the earring in his stools to make sure you see it come out. If he swallowed the earring really recently, if you take him into the vet right now, it's possible they may be able to retrieve it as well as ensure that it's not caused any undo irritation to his esophagus as it went down. If it has been over 30 minutes or so, it may be too late to try and get it back. It can take 24-48 hours before we can start to see signs of a blockage. You could head into the vet in roughly 24 hours to have an xray taken to try and track the progress of the earring as it moves through. The good news is that metal objects tend to show up really brightly on an xray, so they should be able to easily see it and guage how easily it is passing. The bad news is that if it is not passing, they will have to remove it surgically. If at any point your boy starts to vomit, stops eating/drinking, gets restless or seems painful, grows really lethargic, or is straining to have a bowel movement, he needs to go into a vet clinic immediately. Once an obstruction develops, it becomes an emergency and can be life-threatening if not treated immediately. Depending on what type of metal the earring is made from, some heavy metals can be toxic to animals. While they don't absorb the metal, or even break it down very well, if it sits in the stomach for a long period without passing, certain metals will gradually leech into their systems, leading to a metal poisoning. So if you're not seeing it pass in 24-48 hours if you choose to bulk, head into the clinic anyway, even if you are not seeing any of the above signs.

Unfortunately, we cannot say if the bell will pass or not. I wouldn’t make him vomit as it can actually hurt his esophagus coming back up. I would recommend monitoring the cat and if you notice any vomiting or diarrhea or if he becomes lethargic at all I would recommend bringing him into your regular veterinarian for x-rays. You can always bring them into the veterinarian to have them do an x-ray to see if the bell is actually in his stomach since they should show up on the x-ray. Then you can see if he actually swallowed it or not. Unfortunately, this may result in surgery. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Yes, I would be concerned in that this copper wire can puncture his intestines. You did the right thing by giving Jax some bread, and I would continue to give him bread with every meal. This will form a ball of ingesta around the wires, and will hopefully protect the intestines as the wire passes. Keep an eye out for blood in his feces, anorexia, vomiting, lethargy, and diarrhea. If you see any of those signs, they can be symptomatic of the wire piercing his intestines, and I would Jax into the vet right away. Hopefully, they will pass without problem!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is possible that this was causing her an obstruction and now she has thrown it up and defecated some of it and has thankfully relieved her obstruction. That is good as surgery is needed in most cases as they are not able to pass it or throw it up on their own. You can continue to monitor her for signs of an on-going obstruction such as vomiting, abdominal pain, inappetence or lethargy and if observed, have her examined then as soon as possible as that may represent an emergency. Otherwise, if she is back to her normal self and no more symptoms show, she may be ok. Good luck!

Thank you for providing a picture of something like the ear Bandit ate, it's really helpful. Given that he swallowed it last night, I'd just monitor him for now. Do not give him any more olive oil, it will not help and because it's an oil and so fatty, it can cause him to have pancreatitis. It's good that he's acting normally, and he is a bigger dog, so this may pass without issue. Monitor him for vomiting, diarrhea, blood in the stool, lethargy, and a loss of appetite. If you see any of those signs, take him into a vet immediately. I hope this helps!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Ingestion of cotton stuffing from toys and such can be an issue if it causes an obstruction in the intestines. This can be extremely uncomfortable and even result in a torsion or perforation. Fortunately, if it a small enough amount, it will typically pass. I recommend keeping a close eye on Jasper for vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, or lethargy as these may be signs of an obstruction. I’m happy to answer any other questions you may have!