In most cases, foreign bodies in dogs are tennis balls, small toys, buttons, paper or foil, plastic bags, rags. In this situation, there is a high risk of developing complete or partial blockage of the stomach, torsion of the digestive tube, and intestinal obstruction. If objects are sharp, then development internal bleeding, perforation of the walls of internal organs. If foreign objects get into respiratory system the pet may die from asphyxia.
Symptoms in a dog: the animal makes frequent movements of the jaws, there is profuse salivation, retching or full-blown vomiting, or food flows out without active movements from the abdominal press, the dog refuses food, it has severe diarrhea, if there is a complete blockage, then it does not consume water at all, if the intestines are damaged by acute objects, diarrhea mixed with blood is observed, defecation is difficult, difficulty breathing, cyanosis of the mucous membranes develops, pain in the abdomen, apathy and lethargy.
It is strictly prohibited to give laxatives and antiemetics. You should not give a sick pet cleansing enemas, which can lead to the movement of a sharp foreign object through the intestinal tube and perforation of internal organs.
The owner must provide home complete peace. It is not recommended to independently remove swallowed objects from the throat, as well as those protruding from the rectum. It is strictly forbidden to feed and water the animal.
In a specialized institution will conduct a full examination, prescribe an ultrasound and x-ray examination. In most cases, X-ray diagnostics are used with the help of preliminary drinking of barium salts (more often this is done with kefir). The contrast method allows you to determine the presence and localization of foreign objects that are invisible on normal x-ray.
After identifying the object, the veterinarian begins to remove the foreign body from the dog. The operation can be performed using several methods. The simplest and most effective is use of a gastroscope equipped with operational functions. With its help, a veterinary surgeon defragments the foreign body and removes it. The disadvantage of this method is its high cost.
Removing chicken bones using an endoscope If the image shows no accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, there is no perforation of the esophagus, and no more than 3 days have passed since the object was swallowed, intra-abdominal gastrotomy. Access to the esophagus is through the stomach. During the operation, a gastric tube is inserted. After removal, sutures are placed on the stomach, fluid is removed from the abdominal cavity, and then sutures are placed on the peritoneum. If perforation of the esophagus is detected, its walls are first sutured.
If foreign body is in the digestive tube for more than 4 days; in case of perforation of the esophagus, it is performed to save life intrathoracic esophagotomy. Operative access to the esophagus is carried out with right side in the area of the 7th rib. After removing the foreign object, vacuum drainage is installed for a period of at least 5 days.
A foreign body is removed from the intestine by laparotomy. In some cases, a veterinary surgeon resorts to resection of a section of the intestinal tube if necrosis has occurred. In small pets, the intestine is sutured with a single-layer suture, with surgical intervention For large individuals, a two-story suture is used. Postoperative care carried out according to generally accepted surgical technique with diet and antibiotic therapy.
If a foreign body is found in the throat, the veterinarian can remove it using long surgical tweezers or forceps.
Read more in our article about helping an animal and options for removing a foreign object by a veterinarian.
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One of the most common emergencies in the life of a four-legged pet owner is the ingestion of an inedible object. In most cases, foreign bodies in dogs are tennis balls, small toys, buttons, paper or foil, plastic bags, rags.
The danger of this situation is that there is a high risk of the animal developing complete or partial obstruction (blockage) of the stomach, volvulus of the digestive tube, and intestinal obstruction. If the object is sharp, then internal bleeding and perforation of the walls of internal organs may develop. If foreign objects enter the respiratory system, the pet may die from asphyxia. Knowing the symptoms of a foreign body in a dog will help the owner recognize the danger.
Veterinary specialists, based on many years of practice, believe that the following signs can be used to suspect that a pet has swallowed an inedible object:
The owner should know that if a foreign body is in the dog’s stomach, then clinical manifestations obstructions may occur some time after ingestion.
The owner, suspecting that his four-legged friend has swallowed an inedible object, must first of all know that it is strictly forbidden to give any laxatives or antiemetics. You should not give a sick pet cleansing enemas, which can lead to the movement of a sharp foreign object through the intestinal tube and perforation of internal organs.
Veterinary specialists, when asked by the owner what to do if the dog has swallowed a foreign body, first of all recommend giving the animal complete rest. It is not recommended to independently remove swallowed objects from the throat, as well as those protruding from the rectum. Foreign bodies may be sharp or jagged, which will result in injury to the mucous membrane of the internal organs.
In a specialized institution, the sick pet will undergo a full clinical examination. If the veterinarian suspects that the animal has swallowed an inedible object, an ultrasound and x-ray examination will be prescribed.
If there is a possibility that the pet has swallowed radiopaque substances (metal objects, sharp bones), it is easy to detect them on a regular x-ray. The procedure is carried out, as a rule, in a lateral projection in order to determine the level of fluid in the peritoneum.
Foreign body is located in the stomach In most cases, veterinary practice uses x-ray diagnostics using preliminary drinking of barium salts (more often this is done with kefir). This contrast method allows you to determine the presence and location of foreign objects that are not visible on a regular x-ray.
Foreign body (toy rubber ball) located in the esophagus Differential diagnosis is carried out in relation to poisoning, acute viral infection, intussusception not associated with the penetration of a foreign body, etc.
Discovering with foreign object and having determined its location, the veterinarian immediately begins to remove the foreign body from the dog. The urgency of surgical intervention is dictated by the high risk of perforation of the walls of the esophagus, stomach or intestines with the subsequent development of bleeding and peritonitis.
If an object unnatural for the body is detected in respiratory tract urgent surgery was dictated to save the pet from asphyxia.
In veterinary practice, surgery to remove a foreign body from a dog is performed using several methods. The simplest and most effective is the use of a gastroscope equipped with operational functions. With its help, a veterinary surgeon defragments the foreign body and removes it. The disadvantage of this method is its high cost. High-tech equipment is available only in megacities.
If the X-ray image does not reveal fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity, there is no perforation of the esophagus, and no more than 3 days have passed since the object was swallowed, the veterinarian performs an intra-abdominal gastrotomy.
Access to the esophagus is through the stomach. During the operation, a gastric tube is inserted into the esophagus. After removing the foreign body from the dog's esophagus, the veterinary surgeon will stitch the stomach, remove fluid from the abdomen, and then stitch the peritoneum. If perforation of the esophagus is detected, its walls are first sutured.
In the event that the owner does not apply immediately, the foreign body is in the digestive tube for more than 4 days; in case of perforation of the esophagus, as a rule, an intrathoracic esophagotomy is performed to save the animal’s life. Operative access to the esophagus is carried out on the right side in the area of the 7th rib. After removing the foreign object, vacuum drainage is installed for a period of at least 5 days.
The dog underwent surgery to remove part of his intestines. The dog swallowed a sharp bone, resulting in intestinal perforation and peritonitis. If a foreign body is found in the dog's intestines, it is removed by laparotomy. In some cases, a veterinary surgeon resorts to resection of a section of the intestinal tube if necrosis has occurred. In small pets, the intestine is sutured with a one-story suture; for surgical intervention in large animals, a two-story suture is used.
Postoperative care for your four-legged friend is carried out according to generally accepted surgical techniques with mandatory adherence to diet and antibacterial therapy.
To see how bones are removed from a dog's stomach, watch this video:
If a foreign body is found in a dog's throat, a veterinarian can remove it using long surgical tweezers or a forceps. For this procedure, the animal's jaws are fixed using a special jaw, which provides access to the larynx. This procedure is possible when a foreign object is located shallowly. After extraction, the mouth is irrigated antiseptic solution. For this purpose, a solution of furatsilin, potassium permanganate is used.
The owner should understand that untimely assistance in a situation where a foreign body is in the dog’s trachea can lead to such serious complications, like, pleurisy, pneumothorax. Typically, a veterinarian will endoscopic removal foreign object. The operation requires general anesthesia.
In some cases, the surgeon resorts to tracheotomy. Surgical intervention using a tracheotube ( special tool, which is inserted into the dissected trachea), is most effective when the foreign object is located in the lower parts of the bronchial tube.
Removing a foreign object (rubber ball) using a forceps If it is impossible to remove the swallowed object using an endoscope and tracheotomy, the veterinary surgeon performs an operation by quick access through the chest.
The following advice from veterinary specialists and experienced dog breeders will help the owner prevent such trouble as swallowing or inhaling an inedible object:
Restless four-legged friends often become victims of their curiosity. Swallowing an inedible object is fraught with serious complications - from the development of aspiration bronchopneumonia to internal bleeding and the development of peritonitis.
Diagnosis is based on clinical examination, palpation and radiographic examination, including the use of a contrast agent. Treatment in most cases is surgical. In the arsenal of veterinary surgeons there are various techniques access to a foreign object depending on its location.
For symptoms, diagnosis and options for removing foreign bodies in dogs, watch this video:
Bones are a treat for dogs, but not all of them are as safe for the animal as they seem. Many owners believe that such a “treat” is the best food for their pets, but this is a completely wrong opinion. The consequences that occur after such a diet are quite dire, so much so that they lead to death.
It is forbidden to give chicken bones in any form, neither boiled, nor smoked, nor raw, due to their excessive fragility for the animal’s teeth.
You should not give your dog chicken bones.
When a pet bites them, the bones break into many particles that affect: the palate, gums, esophagus, internal organs digestive tract. Crushing chicken bones inside – obstruction, intussusception.
Even more significant damage is caused by the fish skeleton and its smaller branches. Dog teeth are quite large and not designed for processing such “food”. The presence of small fish particles inside the intestines - blockage, punctures, injuries to the wall of the organ mucosa.
Fish bones can damage the stomach lining.
Beef or pork bones are considered generally safe.
True, not all parts of the skeleton. You can let the dog chew on large muscles. Your pet will not be able to bite such a block into small fragments, but it will sharpen its teeth and enjoy it. Nutritional value such food is very questionable, but dogs are creatures from the family of predators and they need to constantly prove their worth in this regard. But it should be remembered that exceptions also happen and are rare, but such bridges can also split, so you should be careful.
Larger bones are safer for your dog.
But you can also occasionally give your pet so-called “sugar bones”, on which a little vein or meat remains.
You can give your dog bones that have meat on them.
Such parts of the skeleton practically cannot be crushed, which makes them as safe as possible and can be used as a treat for a dog. The nutritional value, however, is also questionable, but for pleasure pet can be used. In addition, “gnawing” the bones acts as a kind of prevention of tartar and plaque.
If the owner has not personally seen the eating dangerous food, there are a number of signs that may indicate problems. Main symptoms:
Nausea is the main syndrome of bone stuck in the throat.
Some of the listed symptoms are general, and some indicate the direct presence of a foreign object in a certain place.
When trying to eat, the dog coughs.
You can help your pet yourself only if a foreign body is stuck between the teeth and you can see it. To do this, you can use tweezers and a flashlight. However, if the fragments have passed further and have already injured the mucous membranes, only surgical intervention can help the dog.
If the jam is shallow, you can use tweezers.
Prevention consists of paying close attention to your pets. Develop a diet according to your doctor’s recommendations. Do not allow consumption of “random” food, limit walking in dangerous places that are located near garbage containers or landfills. The key to a pet’s health is care and attention, a timely response to the animal’s suspicious behavior.
Dogs, especially puppies, explore this world by picking up objects, tasting them, and chewing them. As a result, swallowed objects cause trouble for dogs. For example, a puppy may accidentally swallow a small object when a piece of a toy breaks off. Other dangerous objects are also a big temptation for dogs. Used tampons and even oil foil are proof of how puppies can't resist them when rummaging through the trash. Jam foreign objects, leading to obstruction of the paths, becomes medical problem, which costs money and can cost your pet’s life.
Petinsurance.com, a dog insurance website, ranked the top 10 items surgeons remove from dogs' digestive tracts. Here is the list:
Underwear
Tights
Dog toys
Corn cobs
Hair ribbons/elastic bands
Most of the things on this list carry the owner's scent, but the list doesn't end there.
Whole toys and their pieces, jewelry, coins, hairpins, erasers, and office clips are very often swallowed by dogs. Yarn, threads (with and without needles), wire, fishing hooks and fishing lines, Christmas tree tinsel are very dangerous. You should carefully monitor the items used for baking: threads, sticks, everything that is saturated with the taste and aroma of meat. For puppies who have already learned to break with their teeth, wooden objects and bones have proven the dangers of swallowing them. Even an excess of rawhide chew toys can get stuck in the insides. Puppies can even eat rocks.
If the item was swallowed within the last two hours, it is most likely still in the stomach. If the object is not sharp, feed the dog and then induce vomiting. Food envelops the swallowed object and protects the insides. In addition, it is easier to induce vomiting on a full stomach. If your dog does not vomit, you should contact your veterinarian.
If a sharp object has been swallowed, contact your veterinarian immediately. Trying to induce vomiting will cause the object to cause even more harm.
After two hours, the object will be in the intestines, so vomiting will not help. Most objects that are swallowed are small enough to pass through easily. digestive system. They come out with excrement and do not cause harm to health. Feed your dog a large dish to make it easier to pass stones and other heavy objects, and also protect internal organs. The food also stimulates the release of digestive juices, which can soften clumps of paper and chewy treats so those items come out easier and more freely. In most cases, if the ingested object is small enough, it passes harmlessly through the digestive tract and ends its journey in the grass. Monitor your dog's bowel movements and, if necessary, examine the stool with a stick to look for a swallowed object.
Exceptions to the above rule include swallowed metal objects such as coins or batteries. In this case, DO NOT WAIT, visit your veterinarian immediately. Stomach acids react with these metal objects and cause zinc and lead poisoning. Wire is another dangerous item that requires professional help.
If you notice that your pet has swallowed something that it shouldn't and the item is not coming out with stool, or your puppy is gagging without results, the dog is not eating, looks or acts upset, or is coughing incessantly, seek immediate medical attention. help. Any object, even a tiny one, can get stuck and block the path.
Diagnosis can be based on seeing your puppy swallow something or based on symptoms. This is usually confirmed by x-ray or endoscope to determine the exact location and size of the object, and sometimes to identify the object itself. Specific signs depend on the location of the stuck object and its type.
An object stuck in the stomach and other parts of the digestive tract causes vomiting, which can be repeated for days or even weeks if the object is partially blocked and food can pass around it.
Complete blocking of paths is a reason to immediately seek help. Its symptoms: swollen, painful abdomen with sudden, incessant vomiting. The dog refuses food and vomits any liquid.
Symptoms of zinc poisoning include pale gums, bloody urine, jaundice - yellow tint whites of the eyes or inside ears - along with vomiting, diarrhea and refusal to eat.
Lead poisoning can cause teeth grinding, seizures and hyperactivity, loss of appetite and vomiting.
Copper poisoning has similar symptoms plus bloating.
Objects such as wire (including strings) may remain caught between the teeth in the mouth and the rest may be swallowed.
Line and thread warning! Never pull on the visible end - whether it is caught between teeth or coming out of anus. Such objects often have hooks or needles at the end that get caught in the tissues of the digestive tract. By trying to pull out these objects, you will further injure the insides, and the dog will die.
The internal organs move food along using muscle contractions called peristalsis, which move throughout the digestive tract (much like earthworms) to help push the contents toward the anus.
But when a foreign object such as a fishing line gets stuck in the teeth or anus, the intestines literally become folded, like fabric on a string, becoming something like an accordion. The result is sudden severe vomiting and diarrhea, rapid dehydration. Your veterinarian should evaluate any possible option blockade to determine the best course of treatment. Often surgery is the only way to relieve the obstruction.
If the obstruction is not addressed promptly, the damage may become irreparable. Sharp objects can cut or puncture the intestines, and obstruction can cut off blood flow to organs and cause tissue death. Peritonitis - the end result in any case, most often leads to death.
Once the veterinarian determines the location of the item, the item is removed. Sometimes this can be done using an endoscope inserted through the dog's throat or rectum, sometimes only through surgery. The veterinarian will repair any internal damage. If surgery can correct the problem before peritonitis develops, most dogs make a full recovery. If tissue dies, the damaged parts of the intestine can be removed and the living parts of the intestine sewn back on; these animals generally have a good prognosis.
Most puppies outgrow the need to chew indiscriminately. The best course of action for dog owners is to prevent the ingestion of dangerous foreign objects. Choose safe toys that cannot be chewed into small pieces, and supervise your dog while playing. Anything a baby can put in his mouth, a puppy can take. Keep your dog safe by thinking like him so you don't get caught off guard when your dog eats the rapids.
Edited by Margaret Jones Davis
Hello! The Jack Russell Terrier puppy is 6 months old. He swallowed something (presumably a piece of “chew” bought in a specialty store) 5 days ago. He is coughing, but not intensely. Eats and drinks without visible discomfort. Occasionally (3-4 times in the evening) short asmatic attacks. Apparently no pain, cheerful, vaccinated. Yesterday it started leaking from the peepholes. Quite intensely. We live abroad. There is no opportunity to visit a doctor.
How dangerous is this? Can the body cope on its own? The stuck object is clearly sitting in the trachea area. It is not visible from the throat. They made the puppy sneeze, it didn’t help... What should I do? Help please!
katerina
It is difficult to advise you on any specific option for getting your puppy out of trouble without knowing what the “chew” is actually made of, a piece of which your puppy swallowed. As far as I know, “gnaws” can be made from both natural (tendon) and artificial (plastic) materials.
If the “gnawing” is natural, then perhaps you are worrying in vain and this condition of the puppy will go away by itself.
If it doesn't pass for a long time, then before contacting the veterinarian, try pouring Vaseline oil into the edge of his mouth. However, it is difficult to say exactly how much of this liquid should be poured into the puppy. Still Vaseline oil is a laxative. Try to give no more than one tablespoon to begin with.
Also if swallowed hard object, for example, glass, rubber, wire, you can give him castor oil with milk and bread.
You can cleanse your stomach by using using the following methods. Prepare a solution of table salt at the rate of one teaspoon per 500 ml warm water. The finished solution is given to the dog in the same way as liquid medicine (by infusion into the cheek) until vomiting occurs.
The following can be used as improvised emetics:
1. Table salt - two teaspoons per glass of warm water. Forcefully inject through the mouth using a syringe.
2. Mustard - one tablespoon per glass of warm water.
Watch closely when your puppy vomits. If you notice a foreign object already in the throat, quickly try to grab it with your hands and pull it out.
If none of the above helps, you still need to contact a veterinarian. Contact veterinary clinic, in which gastroscopy is performed, it is possible that the foreign body can be removed using a flexible endoscope through the mouth.
Many foreign bodies, even very large ones, can freely pass through the intestines in dogs.
Your puppy may need x-rays and surgery. Especially if you are not entirely sure what exactly he swallowed.
The puppy puts everything in his mouth. Make sure that there are no small objects, needles, pens, children's cars, etc. within your reach. Another problem when keeping a puppy is the objects surrounding it.
Dogs are very curious by nature. but sometimes their curiosity leads to trouble. This is especially true for dogs - “vacuum cleaners”, who eat a lot of strange things. What kind of items did the doctors of our clinics take out from the gastrointestinal tract of dogs - socks, panties, bags, ropes, threads, needles, toys, bones, sticks and many other finds!
The symptoms of a foreign body in a dog depend greatly on where the object is located - in the mouth, throat or esophagus, stomach or intestines.
A foreign body in a dog's mouth - usually sticks or bones that are stuck between back teeth dogs. One of the first signs is frequent movement of the jaw, profuse salivation, the dog rubs its face with its paws, and there may also be slight bleeding from the mouth. Do not try to remove a stick or bone yourself! Even if you manage to loosen the object, it may move into the throat. Contact the nearest veterinary clinic "Your Doctor", a doctor's examination is necessary, and sedation may also be required to remove a foreign body from the dog's mouth.
A foreign body in a dog's throat often causes signs of sudden suffocation and nausea. This condition often requires immediate intervention! As first aid, the owner can lift the dog by hind legs and shake it in emergency You can sharply squeeze the chest from the sides several times.
A foreign body in a dog's esophagus: signs - vomiting after eating, dehydration. To check whether your animal is dehydrated or not, collect a fold of skin on the dog's withers and release it, it should return to its normal position quickly.
When a dog has a foreign body in the trachea and lungs, the general depression of the animal increases at an alarming rate. You must consult a doctor immediately!
A foreign body in a dog's stomach is more difficult to diagnose. Some foreign bodies can remain in the stomach for several years without visible problems. But if the foreign body moves, it can lead to periodic vomiting.
Foreign body in a dog small intestine usually causes uncontrollable vomiting, dehydration, and severe pain in the abdominal wall.
A foreign body in the dog's rectum: if it is sharp objects - sticks, bone fragments, needles, etc. - the dog repeatedly hunches over, possible constipation, blood in the stool. It is important for owners to follow the rule: never pull on a foreign object that is protruding from your pet's rectum! This can be very dangerous, even leading to intestinal rupture. Contact the nearest veterinary clinic "Your Doctor".
Almost all foreign bodies in the gastrointestinal tract are objects that are consumed by the animal. One exception is trichobezoars (hairballs). Threads and strings swallowed by your dog often become wrapped around the root of the tongue. Inspect carefully oral cavity pet!
Required for diagnosis general analysis blood, biochemical analysis blood, urine test. These findings help rule out other causes of vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, and abdominal pain. It is necessary to take x-rays using a contrast agent.
A foreign body in a dog that causes intestinal obstruction, prolonged vomiting, or diarrhea can lead to significant metabolic changes in the body. In addition, a foreign body can cause perforation of the organ wall and exit into the chest or abdominal cavity, which leads to profound complications such as peritonitis, sepsis and death. Many foreign bodies consist of toxic materials that are absorbed by the body - this leads to profound systemic diseases.
There are several treatment options depending on your dog's condition. If you have recently swallowed foreign objects, you may try to induce vomiting. It is also necessary to remove mineral oil, which facilitates the passage of foreign bodies through the gastrointestinal tract within 48 hours.
Some objects can be removed using an endoscope. If the animal has symptoms such as vomiting blood or severe pain, then intravenous infusions and painkillers are necessary. Your veterinarian will suggest admitting your dog to the clinic for observation. The decision to operate is usually made on the basis of x-rays and ultrasound results. A blockage in the intestines or stomach can reduce blood flow to the GI tissues, which can become necrotic. If the foreign body is in the stomach or intestines, the object is removed by making an incision in the intestines or stomach. If there are necrotic tissues and parts of the intestine, they are also removed.
After the operation intensive care With intravenous injection fluids, painkillers and antibiotics are administered. Feeding the dog after surgery begins 1 to 2 days later. It is advisable to use special diets for nutrition at first.
In most cases, dogs with foreign bodies that do not cause blockages have a good prognosis. However, in general, the prognosis depends on several factors:
And remember - your pet's life is in your hands.
