Quote:
Originally Posted by Dwatted Wabbit
Hi all. Some of you may recall when Pretty Girl wasn't eating and was lethargic and I took her to the kitty ER.
The X-ray revealed a BB in her, it's maybe an inch from her spine about midway down her torso. ER doc said she'd leave it be.
Our question is, has anyone else discovered this issue and if so what did you do? A cursory look indicates most BBs are made of steel. So...will the metal deteriorate? Can toxins be released? Or does the body form a protective membrane around a foreign object to protect itself?
Thoughts welcomed. Thanks, all. It doesn't appear to be bothering her.
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To pay attention to your question rather than debate how the cat came to be shot- a BB is a steel ball, .177 inch in diameter. With it near the spine, probably the risks associated with trying to get it out are greater than the small risks associated with leaving it alone. Being steel (iron, with little alloying metals, generally) it's not toxic like lead could be. That said a lot of people have been shot and the lead bullets were left in place by doctors who decided the risk to take the bullet out was greater than the risk of leaving it alone.
I hope your cat gets over her virus.
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