Cat Swallowed Thread? Watch Out for Intestinal Plication — a Life-Threatening Condition!

This is the case of “Tua Dam,” a cat brought to our hospital after the owner noticed a piece of thread coming out from the rectum, along with symptoms of diarrhea and mild abdominal tension. An abdominal ultrasound was performed, which revealed a condition called intestinal plication — where the intestines fold over themselves in a fan-like pattern. This is a medical emergency that requires immediate surgery.

Warning signs your cat may have swallowed a foreign object

• Frequent vomiting
• Loss of appetite, lethargy
• No stool or abnormal bowel movements
• Signs of abdominal pain (curling up or hunching)
• Weakness, weight loss

Why is urgent treatment necessary?

If left untreated, the twisted part of the intestine may lose blood supply, die, or rupture — leading to peritonitis (inflammation of the abdominal lining), which can be fatal. In Tua Dam’s case, prompt action saved the day The veterinary team was able to carefully open specific parts of the intestines and remove the thread — which extended from the stomach to the large intestine — without needing to cut or remove any part of the bowel, and without severe complications.