Cat might have eaten plastic — now what?

Dear Dr. John, I’m pretty sure that my 4-year-old cat, who is otherwise in good health, last night ate a 6-inch strip of plastic from a produce box used to hold vegetables. He usually comes running when I open these containers so he can play with the blue plastic strip, which resembles a feather. I did not notice until it was too late that he had gotten a hold of it. I know many cats eat these types of objects, and some pass them while others may need help with laxatives or need surgery to have them removed. After almost a day, he is doing well, but I wonder if you might recommend a laxative. I just called my local vet, who suggested a $500 X-ray to start. Seems pretty steep. Any thoughts?

You are absolutely correct in that many cats eat these kinds of objects and get in to all sorts of things, but it is not an issue that should be taken lightly!

Plastic is not biodegradable or digestible and will either be vomited, defecated or need to be surgically removed. String foreign bodies are even worse. I caution my clients to not let their cats get a hold of these things that they can swallow since I have too many experiences where I have had to remove them at a significant cost to the owners.

While your cat may seem to be doing well after just 24 hours, I do not think the cat is out of risk. If he has not vomited or passed the plastic, then vomiting may develop, and if it does not come up then, it may need to be retrieved or removed. I would hesitate to use a laxative since plastic can cause trauma to the intestines as it passes through.

I agree that an X-ray and possibly a contrast study should be done, but simple X-rays at that price do seem very high. I hope by the time this is published that your cat will be safely over this episode and in good shape.