By Heidi Clayton
If you think your dog has a foreign body obstruction, my motto in these situations is always better safe than sorry.
My boy Ki was a fool when it came to eating things he shouldn’t. About every two years, he would manage to find something random that has zero business being ingested and end up in the hospital. Each of his indiscretions, while not exactly shocking, was a surprise because he was so sneaky about finding things to eat. I tell my clients that obstructions never present themselves at 3 in the afternoon on a Wednesday; it is always 3 a.m. on the weekend or a holiday.
The most common symptom of an intestinal blockage is profuse vomiting. When Ki had foreign body obstructions, the first symptom I noticed was profuse vomiting of what seemed like days’ worth of food. The smell of everything unable to pass the obstruction coming back up was repulsive. If this makes sense, it was a different kind of vomit than when a dog throws up leaves or grass. In an effort to alleviate the pain, he would stretch in a manner similar to a play bow. Other symptoms can include diarrhea, struggling to poop, drooling, and dehydration.
An intestinal blockage left untreated can kill your dog. Left stuck in the intestines, a blockage can cut off the blood supply to the intestines, cause inflammation of the stomach lining, and cause sepsis. A linear obstruction can actually perforate the intestines. All of these issues can be fatal to your dog, so if you suspect they ate something that could be stuck, it is never wrong to rule it out as a cause of their discomfort or vomiting.
Three of Ki’s obstructions were missed on normal X-rays, which is why I always request an ultrasound when I suspect an obstruction. This was not due to negligence on anyone’s part, but because of how the object was lying in the intestine or what they were made of which made it hard to see on an X-ray. On these occasions, he was sent home loaded up with fluids and given Cerenia for the vomiting. When he continued to vomit, I rushed him to the ER where ultrasound testing immediately found the blockages in the small intestine, which were then surgically removed. I am not suggesting that you walk into an ER and demand an ultrasound. However, in my experience and that of many of my clients and friends, I do not find X-rays to be terribly accurate in finding something stuck in the intestinal tract. I will always gladly pay more for an ultrasound or barium X-ray.
Surgery is the most likely form of treatment for a true intestinal blockage. These surgeries can range from the intestine having to be opened for the object to be removed, portions of the intestine that may be damaged being removed and resected, and possibly the object (if small enough) pushed into the colon to be passed. I have a $7,000 squeaker as a result of the latter. A partial intestinal obstruction where there is no danger of the object perforating the intestines can be treated with a hospitalization stay where the dog is given fluids that help the foreign body move along and eventually be pooped out.
The prognosis for recovery is usually quite good if the foreign body does not cause secondary damage to any of the internal organs. It is an invasive and painful surgery where post-operative care should include crate rest and short leashed walks until cleared by the veterinarian to resume normal activity. Preventing your dog from eating foreign objects is obviously the best way to prevent this surgery. However, some dogs insist on eating random bizarre things. For example, there’s the dog that ate 43 socks, unbeknownst to its owners and made national news. Just remember if you think there is something stuck, a quick diagnosis is the key to saving your dog.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at heidi@fouronthefloordogtraining.net.
Heidi Clayton started Four On the Floor Dog Training to provide positive, reward-based dog training in South Jersey. She breeds, trains and shows bull terriers under the SoraBully’s Bull Terriers kennel name. Email questions to heidi@fouronthefloordogtraining.net or learn more at https://fouronthefloordogtraining.net
