Foreign Objects in the Stomach

Dogs eat all sorts of foreign objects, including rocks, grass, paper, bones, feces, socks and toys. On occasion, objects that the dog would only chew on or hold in its mouth are inadvertently swallowed.  Fortunately, most objects that make it to the stomach are either digested or simply passed with the stool or regurgitated out.  Unfortunately, sometimes that is not the case.

A dog who regularly raids the garbage can, or who is given bones to chew on, runs a higher risk of ingesting bones and fragments that can lodge in the intestines and cause big problems. The dog usually becomes dehydrated and full of painful gas and fluid that accumulates in the digestive tract, unable to move through and out of the dogs body. In the worst-case scenario, the foreign body can completely obstruct the animals digestive tract and even puncture the intestinal wall.

When a dog has a blockage, they may exhibit any of the following symptoms: vomiting, loss of appetite, distended stomach, an absence of feces or a change in the feces, drooling, and retching or trying to vomit with nothing coming up. If your dog exhibits these signs and has recently eaten bones, raided a garbage can, or a favorite toy is missing get him to the Vet immediately!

Normally the vet will use x-rays to reveal the location of a blockage in the stomach or the intestines. Sometimes the blockage can be felt by palpating the intestines and stomach. In the case of something lodged in a dogs throat and even the stomach, a vet will use a lighted endoscope, which is inserted in the dogs esophagus so they can see where the problem is. If the blockage has been there for awhile, and your dog has not been eating or drinking, they may administer fluids to your dog. Antibiotics might also be started at this time, especially if they suspect the intestine wall has become torn. Usually, surgery is required to remove the blockage and repair any damage the foreign body has caused.

These pictures are very graphic do not open if you have a weak stomach. 
Click here >> to view pictures of a surgery to remove foreign objects

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