Occasionally, foreign bodies can gain entrance into the nasal passageways of cats via the mouth, causing extreme irritation and rhinitis or sinusitis. The chief culprits in this category seem to be blades of grass, which is not unusual since many dogs and cats love to chew on vegetation.
Pets with nasal foreign bodies will sneeze and usually have a cloudy or bloody discharge coming from one or both nostrils.
Veterinary inspection of the back of the mouth and inner entrances into the nasal passages while the pet is sedated or anesthetized is often enough to identify and extract the culprit.
If not, surgery might be required to remove it and to prevent secondary complications associated with bacterial infections.
Debbie Reid is the founder and chief editor of CatPedia.net, with over 25 years of hands-on experience in feline care, rescue, and behavior research. Inspired by her rescue cats Snickers and Bigboy, she collaborates with animal welfare resources and consults veterinary literature to turn complex feline health, nutrition, and behavior topics into clear, actionable guides.
