Bilbo’s story
When little Bilbo arrived at Together for Animals member Mayhew, it was clear he had been through the wars. He was dehydrated, suffering from severe diarrhoea and the area around his behind looked sore and inflamed.
Mayhew’s Vets and Animal Welfare Officers immediately gave Bilbo a full health check, and prescribed fluids, probiotics and antibiotics. He was not showing any signs of abdominal abnormalities, and apart from his visible gastrointestinal distress, he seemed to be bright and friendly. We soon discovered that the source of his irritation was a partially digested plastic bag, which Bilbo began to vomit up.
Bilbo was cleaned up and settled down to recover in Mayhew’s Cat Ward. Overnight, he vomited up two more pieces of plastic bag, and their Vets continued to monitor him around the clock.
After a few days on medication, Bilbo’s diarrhoea began to clear up, and he stopped vomiting. Vets were confident that all of the plastic bag had been expelled, but continued to keep a close eye on his behaviour and faeces to ensure that his digestive tract was healing as expected.
Littering can be extremely dangerous to stray, wild and owned animals. They cannot break down plastic in their digestive system; if plastic is ingested, they are at risk of obstruction, poisoning and even death.
Happily, Bilbo did not suffer any severe, long-lasting consequences, and showed himself to be a happy chap with a healthy appetite. After a week of rest, he was ready to be neutered, vaccinated and microchipped before finding a new home.
Despite Bilbo’s traumatic experience, he is a friendly and playful soul who loves to show affection and receive lots of fuss and cuddles. Being such a handsome boy, it wasn’t long before 1.5 year-old Bilbo attracted attention. We are thrilled to say that he is already reserved, and is waiting to go on a brand new adventure with his fur-ever family.