Tinsel and Ribbon are Pretty, but Can Pose a Threat to Your Pet!

That pretty, shiny tinsel you put on your tree could cause problems if you are a cat owner.  For whatever reason, cats love string!  Dental floss, ribbon and this time of year tinsel.  If your cat eats the tinsel, sometimes the end of the tinsel gets wrapped around the tongue, while the rest of it gets swallowed.  The effect of this is that the intestinal tract gets bunched up like a curtain on a curtain rod. The string then starts to slice into the intestinal lining.  Symptoms of an intestinal foreign body include not eating, vomiting, and poor energy.  These pets need emergency surgery and could die if left untreated.  Always keep string out of your cats reach, throw dental floss in a covered garbage, and during the holidays, choose a different decoration other than tinsel.