Cat's stomach X-ray reveals 37 WHAT? How did they get there?
- Replies 0
Pets are family members, and just like any other family member, we know them well. We know when they're happy, when they're sad, when they're in pain, and when something just isn't right.
Pets can't tell us in words what's wrong, so it's up to us to be their advocate and figure out what's wrong when they're not feeling well.
That's why when Perri Padula noticed that her usually playful cat Nermal seemed 'off' and had lost some weight and muscle tone, she couldn't help but feel worried, prompting her to get the 8-year-old Burmese cat checked for any illnesses.
Having worked in veterinary care for 15 years, Ms Padula suspected that her cat might've had a cancerous tumour.
She took her cat to the Greencross Vets clinic where she had him get an X-ray. The results showed a mass in his stomach, and the vet team decided that he needed more diagnostic tests.
Fortunately, his tumour was benign but his stomach had some 'unexpected elements' in it instead...
What they found was truly unexpected - a clump of 37 hair ties, all neatly bundled together.
Melbourne mum Perri Padula shared how she found out that her cat had ingested 37 hair ties. Credit: 9Honey/Perri Padula.
Yes, you read that correctly, folks! The bizarre cat managed to swallow that amount of hair products.
'He's an interesting little guy, of course, he has to be my cat,' Ms Padula said.
'When it happened, I was like, “Yep, that makes sense.”'
While she is careful to store her hair ties in a tight container, Ms Padula had previously observed her cat playing with hair ties.
She also has two young daughters, aged four and two, which makes it more difficult for them to maintain track of their hair ties.
Ms Padula also lives with her husband, a second cat, and a dog.
The mum-of-two added that Nermal is a 'naughty boy' with a 'bad attitude', which she and her family find endearing.
She exclaimed: 'He's an absolute ratbag!'
It was miraculous that Nermal had continued to eat and drink without vomiting.
'The team were like, "Oh my God,"' Ms Padula shared.
'The fact that he had still been eating and drinking, not vomiting... I've been a vet nurse for 15 years, that's unheard of.'
Ms Padula initially thought that Nermal was suffering from a tumour, only to find out that it was a bizarre issue instead. Credit: 9Honey/Perri Padula.
While it's common for cats to like playing with (and sometimes swallowing) hair ties, Dr Lind Evans, a senior veterinarian at Greencross Vets who performed surgery on Nermal, pointed out that 37 hair ties is 'a lot'.
The vet doctor also noted that the highest number she has ever heard of being consumed was 20.
Dr Evans said: 'It's not super common, but we do see it occasionally. Cats really like it for some reason.'
'I think it could be that chewing on them is a little bit like chewing on gristle and things like that for the teeth or also like batting them around, it's a bit like a mouse, essentially, that they're playing with and then hunting as well.'
Neither Ms Padula nor Dr Evans could believe Nermal didn't exhibit any signs of annoyance earlier or that the hair ties didn't enter his intestines, which would have been bad news.
The mum also speculated that the 'massive' number of hair ties inside Nermal's stomach was an accumulation of four years' worth of 'snacks'.
According to Dr Evans, a cat who 'goes off their food' rather than being generally 'fussy' with its eating is a clue that something is wrong.
Other dangerous symptoms besides a change in appetite include regular vomiting and noticeable pain when you go to pat them; Nermal experienced the latter when others went to pat his stomach.
Nermal has a habit of playing with hair ties. Credit: 9Honey/Perri Padula.
Due to her anxiety, Padula claimed that she was not involved in the surgery and that she 'couldn't even be in the same building'.
The procedure took 45 minutes, and Nermal was picked up the next morning.
Ms Padula, however, emphasised that despite the quick procedure, Nermal had still endured 'a major abdominal surgery'.
‘I think a lot of people forget about these things because animals are so stoic,’ adds Padula, pointing out that it took a medical plan and a lot of effort to ensure Nermal healed successfully.
'Keeping up the pain relief, being quiet, which is a lot easier said than done,’ she says. ’We put him away and he had his time. He's well past the 10 days now of post-operative, and you wouldn't even know he had it. He's a completely different cat.'
'I got very, very lucky, I don't know who was looking over me but I got very lucky that it didn't actually cause any damage to his intestinal tract. It was all in his stomach.'
She also advised fellow cat owners to always take their pets to the veterinarian 'if you think something is just not right, even if you can't put a finger on it'.
'If you're concerned about things, [it's] better to bring it up to your vet sooner rather than later,' Dr Evans added.
'Because maybe we can look at more prevention and avoid them going into surgery.'
Dr Evans also suggested looking into pet insurance to help cover the probable costs of the necessary medical care.
It's not always easy to figure out if your furry friends are suffering but there are some telltale signs that something is wrong.
If your pet is lethargic, not eating, has a change in bathroom habits, or is acting out of character in any way, it's time to take them to the vet. These could be signs of a serious illness or injury, and the sooner you get them checked out, the better.
Trust your instincts - if you think something is wrong, it probably is. Don't wait until it's too late to get your pet the help they need.
Pets can't tell us in words what's wrong, so it's up to us to be their advocate and figure out what's wrong when they're not feeling well.
That's why when Perri Padula noticed that her usually playful cat Nermal seemed 'off' and had lost some weight and muscle tone, she couldn't help but feel worried, prompting her to get the 8-year-old Burmese cat checked for any illnesses.
Having worked in veterinary care for 15 years, Ms Padula suspected that her cat might've had a cancerous tumour.
She took her cat to the Greencross Vets clinic where she had him get an X-ray. The results showed a mass in his stomach, and the vet team decided that he needed more diagnostic tests.
Fortunately, his tumour was benign but his stomach had some 'unexpected elements' in it instead...
What they found was truly unexpected - a clump of 37 hair ties, all neatly bundled together.
Melbourne mum Perri Padula shared how she found out that her cat had ingested 37 hair ties. Credit: 9Honey/Perri Padula.
Yes, you read that correctly, folks! The bizarre cat managed to swallow that amount of hair products.
'He's an interesting little guy, of course, he has to be my cat,' Ms Padula said.
'When it happened, I was like, “Yep, that makes sense.”'
While she is careful to store her hair ties in a tight container, Ms Padula had previously observed her cat playing with hair ties.
She also has two young daughters, aged four and two, which makes it more difficult for them to maintain track of their hair ties.
Ms Padula also lives with her husband, a second cat, and a dog.
The mum-of-two added that Nermal is a 'naughty boy' with a 'bad attitude', which she and her family find endearing.
She exclaimed: 'He's an absolute ratbag!'
It was miraculous that Nermal had continued to eat and drink without vomiting.
'The team were like, "Oh my God,"' Ms Padula shared.
'The fact that he had still been eating and drinking, not vomiting... I've been a vet nurse for 15 years, that's unheard of.'
Ms Padula initially thought that Nermal was suffering from a tumour, only to find out that it was a bizarre issue instead. Credit: 9Honey/Perri Padula.
While it's common for cats to like playing with (and sometimes swallowing) hair ties, Dr Lind Evans, a senior veterinarian at Greencross Vets who performed surgery on Nermal, pointed out that 37 hair ties is 'a lot'.
The vet doctor also noted that the highest number she has ever heard of being consumed was 20.
Dr Evans said: 'It's not super common, but we do see it occasionally. Cats really like it for some reason.'
'I think it could be that chewing on them is a little bit like chewing on gristle and things like that for the teeth or also like batting them around, it's a bit like a mouse, essentially, that they're playing with and then hunting as well.'
Neither Ms Padula nor Dr Evans could believe Nermal didn't exhibit any signs of annoyance earlier or that the hair ties didn't enter his intestines, which would have been bad news.
The mum also speculated that the 'massive' number of hair ties inside Nermal's stomach was an accumulation of four years' worth of 'snacks'.
According to Dr Evans, a cat who 'goes off their food' rather than being generally 'fussy' with its eating is a clue that something is wrong.
Other dangerous symptoms besides a change in appetite include regular vomiting and noticeable pain when you go to pat them; Nermal experienced the latter when others went to pat his stomach.
Nermal has a habit of playing with hair ties. Credit: 9Honey/Perri Padula.
Due to her anxiety, Padula claimed that she was not involved in the surgery and that she 'couldn't even be in the same building'.
The procedure took 45 minutes, and Nermal was picked up the next morning.
Ms Padula, however, emphasised that despite the quick procedure, Nermal had still endured 'a major abdominal surgery'.
‘I think a lot of people forget about these things because animals are so stoic,’ adds Padula, pointing out that it took a medical plan and a lot of effort to ensure Nermal healed successfully.
'Keeping up the pain relief, being quiet, which is a lot easier said than done,’ she says. ’We put him away and he had his time. He's well past the 10 days now of post-operative, and you wouldn't even know he had it. He's a completely different cat.'
'I got very, very lucky, I don't know who was looking over me but I got very lucky that it didn't actually cause any damage to his intestinal tract. It was all in his stomach.'
She also advised fellow cat owners to always take their pets to the veterinarian 'if you think something is just not right, even if you can't put a finger on it'.
'If you're concerned about things, [it's] better to bring it up to your vet sooner rather than later,' Dr Evans added.
'Because maybe we can look at more prevention and avoid them going into surgery.'
Dr Evans also suggested looking into pet insurance to help cover the probable costs of the necessary medical care.
It's not always easy to figure out if your furry friends are suffering but there are some telltale signs that something is wrong.
If your pet is lethargic, not eating, has a change in bathroom habits, or is acting out of character in any way, it's time to take them to the vet. These could be signs of a serious illness or injury, and the sooner you get them checked out, the better.
Trust your instincts - if you think something is wrong, it probably is. Don't wait until it's too late to get your pet the help they need.
