Dogs, and cats to a lesser extent, are curious creatures who like to explore the world with their mouths. This means that they will often chew on or swallow objects. In general, this doesn’t cause any negative effects in the dog, although it can be very frustrating for the owner, (I have lost many a pair of shoes to my own dog).
There are, however, occasions where this curiosity can go very wrong. Chewing on the wrong item can lead to broken teeth or damage to the mouth, and swallowing the wrong object can lead to it getting stuck.
Betsy is one of those cases. Like all dogs she absolutely
loves playing and running around with toys.
One day her owner noticed that she
wasn’t behaving as she usually would. She was a bit quieter and was
not as interested in her dinner. After a couple of bouts of vomiting her owner
decided it was time to bring her to VetsOne for a consultation
Our vets find the problem.
When we examined Betsy she had a tense, sore abdomen (tummy) so she was admitted to the clinic for xrays and blood tests. Her blood tests were all normal so Betsy was given some medication to make her relax and xrays were taken of her abdomen. First plain xrays were taken and then we gave “Betsy” a special contrast liquid that shows up bright white on xray. It gets stuck behind or wraps around the obstruction making it easier to see. The contrast xrays showed what looked to be a large obstruction within her stomach.
Based on that information, we recommended an exploratory laparotomy. This is where we surgically open the abdomen to look for and remove the obstruction.
Once Betsy had been anaesthetised her abdomen was clipped and then cleaned with a special solution to sterilise her skin. She was placed on an intravenous drip and her anaesthetic was monitored by one of our nurses throughout the surgery.
An incision was made into her abdomen and her abdominal contents were examined. The obstruction that was visible on xray was removed and then the intestines were ‘run’. This basically involves the surgeon checking the entire length of the intestines from the stomach through the small intestines all the way to the colon. This is really important as it ensures that all foreign bodies are identified. In Betsy’s case it turned out that she had another blockage halfway through her small intestines!!! This was also removed and once the abdomen was flushed her incision was closed and she was moved into the Recovery Ward.
Betsy was monitored closely overnight and was offered food early the next day. The rest of her recovery was uneventful and within a few days she was back to her normal self: eating and drinking well.
Both obstructions were parts of a toy that had been demolished by Betsy even though it had been touted as close to indestructible. Her owner has cleared the yard of all further toys and has been keeping a very close eye on Betsy to make sure she doesn’t get herself into any further trouble.
Article written by Dr Rachel Anderson of VetsOne. Photos are actual photos of Betsy’s surgery and toy, with permission from the owner.
