Magnificent Max (7 year old long-haired) came to see us as he was a bit flat after vomiting a furball up at home. Max is very particular about his grooming regime and is known for his attention to detail.

Examination revealed a tense abdomen and minimal xray changes, but some suspicion of an intestinal foreign body. With his grooming regime and known to have a sensitive tummy he was given anti nausea medicine. If he still wasnt feeling well, he was to check back in 12 to 24 hours.

Still not well he came back. He was now mildly dehydrated still with a tense abdomen. He had an ultrasound (suspicion remained) and blood tests revealed low salt levels. Low salt levels are another red flag and a possible indicator of an intestinal blockage. After stabilisation, the surgeons found and removed a furball from his intestines. He is back home and feeling well again.

The take home message is ‘long haired cats are notorious for foreign bodies which can be tricky to diagnose. A vomiting history is something to be very cautious of, particularly when they look unwell.’

By failing the anti nausea test and then being able to have an ultrasound and a blood test we were able to help Max get well again.