Your 2-year-old cat, Shadow, has been vomiting for 6 hours. You notice something under his tongue—it's thread. When you look closer, you see string wrapped around the base of his tongue. His abdomen feels tense when you touch it. He ate from your sewing kit.
Warning: Never pull string or thread from a cat's mouth or anus. Linear foreign bodies can cause intestinal plication—the bowel bunches like an accordion. Pulling can lacerate the intestine. Seek emergency care. Do not induce vomiting.
If you see string under the tongue, gently lift the tongue. If the string is anchored and doesn't come free, it's likely threaded through the GI tract. The Triage/Emergency Specialist advises: Linear foreign body suspected. Do not pull. Seek emergency surgery. Radiographs may show accordion-like bowel or gas patterns. The X-Ray Analyzer AI provides educational guidance.
Linear foreign bodies require exploratory laparotomy. The intestine is carefully examined; multiple enterotomies may be needed to remove the string. Perforation or necrosis requires resection. The General Vet AI explains plication pathophysiology. Prognosis is good with prompt surgery.
Use Triage/Emergency Specialist and X-Ray Analyzer AI for education. Never pull string—emergency surgery required.
- Never pull string from mouth or anus—risk of intestinal laceration.
- String under tongue = linear FB until proven otherwise.
- Plication = bowel bunched like accordion; surgical emergency.
- Do not induce vomiting—linear FBs can cause plication.
- Exploratory surgery is the definitive treatment.