Peepers is a 3-year-old FS DSH cat that presented for vomiting and not eating for several days. She is notorious for playing with a string. Our ER clinician looked and did not see the string under her tongue, but it was white, fine, and tough to see. She was taken to surgery, where the string was identified in her stomach (via gastrotomy), THEN the string was cut from under her tongue, so the string would not be lost. The trick was to attach the string (firmly) to a cut end of red rubber catheter via her stomach incision. Her stomach was then closed, and the red rubber catheter could be passed into her small intestine and threaded all the way through her bowel into her colon. It was then retrieved rectally (while asleep) when the surgery was finished. This meant we could remove all the string through an incision in the stomach, which has a very low risk of healing after surgery, and avoid making multiple small incisions in her intestine (which could leak after surgery).
Many cats love to play with string, and while it can seem harmless, swallowed string can create serious problems if it becomes anchored somewhere in the digestive tract. If part of the string moves through the intestines while another part stays stuck, it can bunch up the bowel, which is an emergency. Quick recognition and veterinary care make all the difference for a safe outcome.
Peepers returned one month later with another string-related incident. She now has a bit of scar tissue along her intestines from the previous episode, which highlights just how quickly these situations can escalate—and how important timely care is for playful kitties who love string.
