This cat has two foreign bodies in it. One is supposed to be there – one is not. Can you identify the two foreign objects?

The one that is supposed to be there is the small white spot above the shoulder blades (left top). This is a microchip implanted for permanent identification. With a microchip implanted, the cat can be identified anywhere in Australia and can be reunited with its owner if it becomes lost.

Microchips can be implanted without a general anaesthetic by your vet. We strongly recommend that every pet is microchipped.

The second foreign body is the long white object just below the spine under the rib cage. It is a needle and it is actually inside the stomach. This cat had found a piece of thread to play with. Once in the mouth, the thread was quickly dragged back by the barbed tongue, and unfortunately the attached needle followed.

Believe it or not, the needle is not such a worry. Most needles will pass through a cat or dog’s gastrointestinal tract within a few days without causing injury. It is the long string, piece of cotton or wool attached to the needle that forms a “linear foreign body” that is more likely to cause a problem in the intestines. Cats and dogs who swallow fishing hooks with fishing line attached to them suffer a similar problem.

An example of a linear foreign body can be seen in another one of our cases, entitled, “The kitten and the hairband”.