Foreign Body: My Dog Swallowed What?!

Oh, the crazy things we’ve taken out of the bellies of dogs and cats!

*String
*Ribbon
*Bones (chicken, pork, steak, etc.)
*Coins
*Diaper absorbent
*Comforter stuffing
*Washcloth
*Socks
*Underwear
*Broken glass
*Baseball
*Christmas Tree decorations
*Staples
*Rocks
*Needles
*Sticks

And that’s just what came off the top of my head!

Dogs and cats will swallow crazy things. They don’t often care what the crazy things taste like (consider the fact that some dogs eat poop… that can’t taste good!), some of our pets just get a bug in their mind to swallow things they’re not supposed to swallow.

Many times they’re able to pass some of these strange things, but if these foreign bodies (that’s what we call them) cause either a partial or a complete obstruction, or if they puncture the stomach or the intestine, the pet’s life is in serious danger.

The most common symptom of foreign body obstruction is vomiting. But obstruction can also lead to lethargy, dehydration, and general sickness. If a sharp object tears a hole in the intestine, the contents will leak into the abdomen and cause significant pain, sickness and can even lead to death. The point: these are emergencies!

Foreign bodies may be retrieved by endoscopy or by abdominal surgery. The decision between the two solutions will be based on the nature and the location of the foreign body when the dog or cat is evaluated. Yes, there is always risk with anesthesia and surgery, but the risk of not addressing an obstruction is certain death, and the risks with a tear or perforation are significant illness and probable death.

Think your cat swallowed a string? Are you missing a sock and cleaning up vomit from your dog? Don’t waste any time. Give us a call!

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Comment on "Foreign Body: My Dog Swallowed What?!"

  1. […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by CFVC. CFVC said: My pet swallowed what??? Dogs and cats will swallow almost anything! http://bit.ly/aRkqeq #pets […]

  2. […] Foreign bodies are not an unusual thing for us to see at all. We’ve seen animals swallow just about anything that can fit in their mouth. It always cracks us up that some cats won’t swallow a pill but they’ll swallow a sewing needle! […]

  3. […] one of our all-star assistants, has a cat who has proven to be a repeat-offender in the foreign body department: Beanie Baby stuffing & a dish towel. Why? If you know the inner workings of the […]

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