Earlier this evening, Kiwi’s owner noticed something alarming: a sewing project had been dragged across the room, and the attached thread and needle had vanished. A friend had left out a sewing kit, and by the time Kiwi was caught in the act, the needle and nearly a meter of thread were already missing.

Kiwi was brought to Mountainside, where, upon examination, the doctors elected to proceed with X-rays to confirm if the sewing needle had been swallowed. X-rays confirmed the presence of a sewing needle in her stomach, along with another piece of foreign material further along in the intestines. The intestinal object didn’t appear to be a high risk of obstruction, and would most likely pass naturally. But the needle was a different story!

Because the needle was still in the stomach and not causing immediate trauma, the team recommended an endoscopy, a minimally invasive procedure where a small camera is used to locate and remove the foreign object. With everyone on the same page, Kiwi was admitted to the hospital for care and her procedure.

Kiwi was sedated, and the procedure began. The doctor was able to visualise a decent amount of undigested kibble, which made locating the needle a bit more challenging. A large clump of string was found, and the endoscope’s graspers were used to slowly dislodge the clump of string, revealing the needle! The needle was removed in one smooth and gentle attempt, along with the string.

Kiwi recovered well from her procedure and went home to her loving family. With a diet of gastrointestinal-friendly wet food and close monitoring, Kiwi was able to make a full recovery and is back to her normal kitten self!