# 4th time cat has got grass stuck in throat / nose



## Twister1981 (Oct 30, 2015)

Today we took our cat for the 4th time in 2 years to the vet have a blade of grass removed from the back of his throat / nose, he had been chocking / coughing for last few days. 

This is the 4th time in less than 2 years and the cat needs to be put a sleep and they use a camera to find it then remove it, approx cost £500 a time. First two times insurance covered it, third time it didn't, today again it didn't but the problem this time is the vet couldn't remove the blade, so they have billed us £500 and recommended we go to another vets that has a special piece of equipment they don't have and we have been told at the second vet the bill would be circa £750, insurance won't cover it, so this time £1250 to get it removed.

I'm going to have to suck it up and pay as I love the little dude but I just can't afford to keep paying out like this, I can't keep him in as he hates being in, I want to try an avoid it happening again but I'm not sure if I can do anything to prevent it apart from keeping him in ? The vets said he is just unlucky but 4 times in 2 years imo is more than unlucky he must be susceptible to it ?


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## huckybuck (Jan 17, 2014)

If you have your own grass (lawn) that he keeps chewing you need to keep it cut short. It tends to be when the grass has got longer and becomes coarse that it causes a problem. Either that or a run in the garden I'm afraid.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

One of my cats had a similar problem due to eating grass outdoors. Now I grow grass in pots indoors and there is always a fresh pot available by the cat's food station. The indoor grass is soft and easy to swallow, so no more pieces stuck in his throat..


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## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

I agree with @chillminx 
Your cat may be shewing on some of the ornamental grasses which are very tough and known to cause these issues. Provide a pot of fresh sweet young oat grass and he will hopefully chew on that instead.


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## Sam1989 (Jul 12, 2016)

Just about to take our in for the fourth time in the space of 6th months, its ridiculous as i cant keep her in its not fair on her when she has always been allowed out and the insurance wont cover it again. The vet said we are just unlucky too but im convinced she must have something different about her soft palate to keep getting it stuck in there. Feel your pain!


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## Soozi (Jun 28, 2013)

Sam1989 said:


> Just about to take our in for the fourth time in the space of 6th months, its ridiculous as i cant keep her in its not fair on her when she has always been allowed out and the insurance wont cover it again. The vet said we are just unlucky too but im convinced she must have something different about her soft palate to keep getting it stuck in there. Feel your pain!


It might be she's doesn't chew it enough! I would try putting cat grass in pots outside and see if she will eat that instead. My cat has done it once but she managed to break it down herself and swallow it.


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

I don't want to frighten you as this was a very unfortunate accident, but one of my previous cats used to do this with ornamental grass and, sadly for us, the second time we took her to the vets when she was sneezing with blood which they took to mean she still had some in her nose, she died coming out of the anaesthetic and, the awful thing was, there wasn't any grass when they looked. Ornamental grass can be very sharp and it can go up into the nasal cavity and is a very tricky operation. After that, I dug up all the ornamental grass and won't have it in the garden where the cats go. One of the things I wasn't aware of at the time is that their throat's can swell when they've had this done, I don't know if that was the problem with my Maisie, they couldn't say. 

Is yours ornamental grass or ordinary grass?. If she is addicted to doing this, I would get rid of it, whatever it is, as there's no way you will be able to stop her if she continues to go out and why put her at any risk of having to keep going under anaesthetic to remove it, not to mention the cost.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Like Soozi says, providing tender young grass in pots for your cat might persuade him to eat that rather than the tough grass in the garden which is hard for him to swallow. 

Oat grass seeds can be bought on line (even [email protected] sells them now) and you fill a plant pot with potting compost and sow the seeds in that. Water every day and ensure the pots get plenty of light but not too much direct sun or it will scorch the developing grass. I always have a couple of pots on the go. The larger pots last for ages.


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## Sam1989 (Jul 12, 2016)

I don't like the idea of her going under anaesthesia so often at all either but when she is distressed there isn't really another option so had to take her in. The only guaranteed option would be to keep her inside, which again I don't think is fair when she has always been allowed to roam. I have brought some cat grass to hopefully deter her from the long, spikey blades which grow in some of the overgrown gardens around and also some fur ball medicine to see if she is eating this to try and get rid of furballs but I rarely ever see her struggling with them. It would seem the only given would be to keep her in an if it continues to happen I guess both for my cost (as its about £290 each removal ) and for her health . Some people suggest just leaving her to let her body break it down but I just cant see her that irritated and risk the possibility of her getting an infection. I guess she is just prone to a nibble on the green stuff!


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## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

I really do think that if you provide her a pot of sweet young oat grass at all times she will naturally avoid the tough ornamental grass.


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## Sam1989 (Jul 12, 2016)

So here i go for the 5th time in just over a year to the vets as she has grass stuck in her soft palate again. She has pots of grass inside and out of various varieties but obviously is prone to this. At a cost od £1500 in this time ive now made the decision she will have to be an indoors cat for her health and my sanity, shes not going to like it to start with but its all im left with


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## Charity (Apr 17, 2013)

What a nightmare. I see from your previous comments, she is eating grass in neighbouring gardens. Could you do something with your garden like catproofing so she can't get out? As for grass in pots, I would just stop giving it to her.


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## Sam1989 (Jul 12, 2016)

Unfortunately not, i have two other normal cats who love to roam about so couldn't lock them down too as such plus it would take some serious cat proofing to stop her getting out. I think im going to have to test out keeping her in, she will hate it to start with but she will have to get used to it. Lots of toys and enrichment for her, i feel so sad having to do this but its not feasible anymore and the insurance wont pay out for it.


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