My cat swallowed a shoestring and is vomiting. Is it an emergency?

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 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!

Oh naughty Loki for eating string! If he is more lethargic than usual and isn't eating, I would take him into the vet right away. It is possible there is still more string instead his intestines, and he should be examined by a vet now. If there is still string in his GI tract, then he will need surgery to remove it.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It happens that a longer piece of thread or yarn can tangle around the base of the tongue or gets stuck above the soft palate. It could be the case in Delta. Ife the yarn has tangled up around the tongue, you should be able to see it if Delta lets you open her mouth wide. If it got stuck above the palate, you won't be able to see it. It is not much that you can do at home to help her. She should be seen by a vet for sedation and throat examination.

It can take up to 72 hours for signs of an obstruction to occur, and if she does get a linear foreign body from eating this ribbon, she will need surgery to remove it. Waiting until morning to see the vet will be too late to induce vomiting in Shadow, there is only a window of two hours in order to do this. I would take her into an ER vet or find a vet on call now to see her to induce vomiting with a shot.

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!

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!