VENICE – Dr. Michael Reinhart, a veterinarian at Jacaranda Animal Hospital, says a 16-year-old cat named Bandit came in last week vomiting and not eating.
“My initial concerns with a cat of this age, because I see so much of this, is kidney failure,” Reinhart said, but he said all kidney tests were clear.
“So we take an abdominal X-ray to see if we have issues in the belly, and therein lies the problem,” Reinhart said.
The X-ray showed several pellets in Bandit’s stomach.
“The client says she has this new kitty litter that is basically pellets of silicone, and she says, ‘I think he’s been eating a couple of these,’” Reinhart said.
It was more than a couple. His assistant told SNN she counted 37 pellets.
“We’re kinda taking X-rays watching, and it is passing, but there’s still a whole lot there that could come together and cause an obstruction,” Reinhart said. “The cat did eat for one day and now it’s not eating; I’m just not sure if we can save this cat.”
Jacaranda Animal Hospital posted the X-ray on Facebook as a warning to cat owners about using silicone pellet kitty litter.
Some cat owners commented they’ve been using it for years with no problems; others saying they’ve had the same exact thing happen to them.
“I called pet poison control to find out about toxicities, and they told me it was a volcanic substance that was a silicone-based product with aluminum,” Reinhart said. “The client that owns this cat says what it says on the product is ‘silicone with minerals.'”
Dr. Reinhart says no matter the cat, no matter the type of litter, you need to be careful.
“It’s just one of those small things that can be a big problem,” he said.
