One of the common causes of gastrointestinal damage in dogs is a foreign body that dogs ingest for various reasons. This can happen while playing, eating, or eating non-food items (for example, while walking). The main thing is to immediately provide help to your pet, otherwise serious consequences are possible, including asphyxia, soft tissue necrosis and peritonitis!
Read in this article:
What objects are most often swallowed by dogs? Symptoms that indicate your dog has swallowed a foreign object How can you tell where the foreign object is? What to do if your dog swallows a foreign body? General prognosis Diagnostics How is foreign objects removed? Useful tips
What objects are most often swallowed by dogs?
Most often, a dog swallows foreign bodies while walking, so it is recommended not to leave it alone and watch what it picks up from the ground. At home, it is recommended to keep all dangerous objects that the animal may accidentally swallow out of reach. These simple rules will help you avoid dangerous situations.
Items commonly swallowed by dogs:
- socks,
- rubber balls,
- plastic bags,
- stones,
- hair bands,
- bones,
- sticks,
- yarn and threads,
- Christmas tinsel,
- coins,
- hairpins, etc.
Veterinarians recommend carefully monitoring products that are used for preparing meat dishes, and therefore are imbued with the taste and smell of meat (sticks, baking bags, foil forms, etc.).
Signs that your dog has swallowed a foreign object
The first thing that should alert a dog owner is the frequent urge to vomit. Attacks of vomiting occur immediately or within 2-3 hours after eating (this depends on in which part of the digestive system the foreign object is located). At the same time, undigested food particles are present in the vomit.
General signs indicating the presence of a foreign body in a dog:
- loss of appetite or complete refusal to eat,
- strong thirst
- difficulty defecating (the dog bends and experiences discomfort when defecating, the volume of feces decreases, there may be blood in the stool),
- apathetic and lethargic state,
- dehydration of the body,
- aggressiveness (for example, with severe pain in the abdominal area),
- Constantly tense stomach.
The animal completely refuses food and water, internal bleeding, damage to internal organs as a result of the passage of a product with sharp edges (for example, glass), and general exhaustion of the body are possible.
If your dog is unwell and all signs indicate that it has swallowed a foreign object, contact a veterinary clinic in Moscow immediately! Do not self-medicate - this can lead to dangerous consequences not only for the health, but also for the life of your pet.
After operation
After the dog has had surgery or the veterinarian has successfully removed the plastic, he or she may prescribe antibiotics to the dog to prevent the infection from developing. The vet will also likely recommend that your dog remain quiet and calm for a few days afterwards - this will allow his body to rest and recuperate. You may even need to change the way you give your dog water and food for a few days or weeks, especially if the dog has intestinal damage.
How to understand where a foreign object is located?
Signs indicating that a dog has swallowed a foreign object differ depending on where it is located.
In the esophagus . If a foreign body enters the esophagus, the risk of blockage increases. Complete obstruction is accompanied by restless behavior of the pet, excessive salivation, frequent swallowing movements or attempts to perform them. With incomplete obstruction, the animal retains its appetite, but in any case, vomiting occurs when eating.
In the stomach . A characteristic sign that a foreign body has entered the stomach is irritation of the mucous membrane. Damage is possible even if the dog swallowed a blunt object rather than a sharp one. The presence of a foreign object in the stomach leads to a general deterioration in the pet’s condition, dehydration and, less often, to impaired bowel movements.
Small objects (such as parts of toys) can remain in the stomach for several years without causing any symptoms.
In the intestines. The fact that a foreign body is in the intestines is indicated by attacks of severe vomiting and pain in the abdominal area. Objects with blunt edges more often cause bloating and intestinal obstruction, while objects with sharp edges cause damage to the mucous membranes and blood in the stool. Added to this are signs of intoxication, general weakness and dehydration.
In the respiratory tract . If a foreign body enters the respiratory tract, the animal may die from asphyxia, so it requires emergency veterinary care! Please note that the animal exhibits shallow, jerky and heavy breathing. When transporting a dog to a doctor, it is necessary to ensure complete rest to avoid the development of serious complications.
When foreign bodies are swallowed, there is a high risk of complete or partial obstruction, torsion of the digestive tube, and the development of intestinal obstruction. If objects have sharp edges, internal bleeding often occurs and the mucous membranes are damaged, so the best solution is to immediately contact a veterinarian!
Hairpins
Plastic and metal hair clips can injure the esophagus, especially if they are decorated with any decorative elements. If someone does their hair at home using such accessories, then you need to provide a storage place for them, where your four-legged pet cannot reach.
Some owners like to decorate their dogs with hairpins and elastic bands. At the same time, you need to carefully monitor them, because the animal may not like such care and will want to get rid of these decorations, and in the process he may accidentally eat them.
What to do if your dog swallows a foreign body?
The first thing to do is seek professional veterinary help. Immediately take your pet to an appointment with a veterinarian so that he can examine the pet, carry out diagnostics and perform all necessary procedures.
Under no circumstances should you:
- give your dog laxatives or antiemetics without the advice of a veterinarian,
- leave cleansing enemas on your own, because they can provoke further advancement of a foreign object and damage to internal organs,
- independently remove objects that the dog has swallowed (even if they are stuck in the throat or sticking out of the rectum!).
Make sure your dog is completely rested before visiting the veterinarian. It is strictly forbidden to feed or water the animal, as this leads to severe vomiting and dehydration of the entire body. In the future, follow all recommendations of the veterinarian.
General forecast
In more than 85% of cases the prognosis is favorable. It will be possible to remove the foreign object and restore the pet’s general well-being without consequences, if the presence of the foreign body does not lead to complete obstruction.
However, the specific forecast depends on the following factors:
- location of the foreign body after ingestion by the dog (in the stomach, esophagus, respiratory tract, etc.),
- size and shape of the object (blunt or with sharp edges, small or large, made of metal, plastic, etc.),
- general condition and age of the pet,
- the presence of complications that are already caused by ingestion of a foreign body.
Remember that the sooner you seek veterinary help, the higher your pet's chances of a full recovery. If you delay a visit to the doctor, complications may develop (intestinal damage, internal bleeding, peritonitis, soft tissue necrosis, etc.).
Expected Forecasts
In 85% of cases the situation ends favorably. The removal of the foreign body takes place without incident; further rehabilitation measures help return the pet to its previous physical form.
In the remaining 15%, the favorable outcome depends on a number of factors:
- in what part of the intestine is the foreign object located;
- the dimensions of the swallowed foreign body, as well as what edges it has: pointed or blunt;
- the age and physical characteristics of the pet before the incident;
- the presence of complications caused by ingestion of a foreign object.
Important!
An emergency visit to a veterinary clinic will greatly increase the chances of favorable success. Delay will be fraught with the development of complications: disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, bleeding may occur if the mucous membranes are damaged, soft tissues begin to die, etc.
Diagnostics
An appointment with a veterinarian begins with an examination of the pet. Often, long objects (for example, ropes) are wound around the root of the tongue, so they can be immediately removed from the mouth, preventing further consequences.
Otherwise, in order to determine whether a dog has swallowed a foreign object and in which part it is located, the following methods are used:
- X-ray examination . An X-ray can reveal abnormal expansion, which indicates the presence of foreign objects in the digestive system, but only if they are radiopaque (for example, metal or wood). It is much more difficult to identify polyethylene or rubber products.
- Ultrasonography . It allows you to identify obstruction caused by external factors. Using an ultrasound machine, it is possible to determine the movement of a foreign body if the motor functions of the intestines and digestive system are completely preserved.
- Esophagogastroscopy . This is the most objective diagnostic method, allowing you to determine not only the presence of a foreign body, but also the consequences to which it led. Additionally, esophagogastroscopy helps to assess the condition of the mucous membranes in order, if necessary, to prescribe treatment to restore them.
Only after diagnosis, a veterinarian in Moscow prescribes treatment. It is selected individually for each pet, because it largely depends on its general condition and degree of dehydration.
Don't let it get to the point of surgery.
If you know the size of the plastic the dog ate, your veterinarian may be able to get the dog to regurgitate it. Unfortunately, surgery may be necessary if you don't know the size of the plastic your dog ingested; pretty sure it was a big piece; this will be the next option. It is extremely important that neither you nor anyone else tries all sorts of methods to induce vomiting in your dog - this should be done by a veterinarian. If you or anyone else is inexperienced, you could be doing even more harm to your dog's health and causing further complications.
People always wonder if all plastics are dangerous for dogs. Dogs can't digest plastic, period. They should never eat it. However, sometimes dogs may chew things they shouldn't or take things you didn't see. You may be completely unaware that the dog has eaten plastic - if he was small, you might only observe it in his stool later. But if you notice that he can't eat normally or is vomiting, then something more serious is going on, such as an intestinal obstruction. Only try getting your dog to regurgitate plastic if your vet has told you it's okay to do so and if it's small and soft. But if you don't know what to do, it can be very dangerous for your dog to vomit if you don't induce the regurgitation properly according to your veterinarian's instructions. Next, if the object is large, rush to the vet.
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How is foreign objects removed?
Drug treatment . If a dog has swallowed a small object and it is in the esophagus, then emetics are used to remove it. They remove foreign bodies along with vomit. Vaseline oil is sometimes used to help push the object into the stomach. It is important that drug treatment is only suitable if the pet has swallowed a product with smooth edges (for example, a rubber ball).
Surgery . If emetics do not help or emergency intervention is required (for example, in cases where the pet has swallowed a sharp object), surgery is necessary. It is performed by laparotomy. After surgery, your pet needs rehabilitation. To restore his health, veterinarians administer 2-3 droppers. They contain vitamins and microelements, therefore they contribute to the overall strengthening of the body and prevent dehydration.
Useful tips
To prevent ingestion of foreign objects, choose only safe toys for your dog that cannot be chewed during play. Keep an eye on puppies in particular, because during the teething period they randomly chew and chew on everything around them.
Other useful tips to help avoid foreign bodies:
- Completely eliminate bones from your diet;
- Be careful while walking and make sure that the dog does not chew sticks, stones and other objects;
- Let your pet chew dried treats only in your presence, after removing all small pieces;
- Nail scissors, needles and other sharp or traumatic objects must be kept in a place where the animal cannot reach them;
- Try to spend more time training your dog so that it does not pick up anything, and if it does take something into its mouth, it spits it out immediately on your command.
And remember, your pet’s life is in your hands!
Veterinary treatment
If the clog is not cleared promptly, the resulting damage may be irreparable. Sharp objects can cut or puncture the intestines, and obstructions can interfere with blood flow to organs and cause intestinal tissue to die.
In either case, the result is peritonitis, which usually leads to the death of the victim.
Once detected, the object will be deleted. Sometimes a veterinarian can do this by using an endoscope in the puppy's throat, or in another direction up through the rectum, or through surgery. Any internal damage has been repaired.
If surgery can correct the problem before peritonitis develops, most puppies make a full recovery.
If tissue dies, damaged sections of intestine can be removed and living sections of intestine reattached; these puppies usually have a good prognosis.
Most puppies outgrow indiscriminate chewing. The best way is to prevent your dog from swallowing dangerous objects.
Choose toys that are safe for dogs that cannot be chewed into small pieces, and supervise play with objects. Anything a baby puts in their mouth is fair game for the puppies.
Prepare your home for puppy life by thinking like your dog so you won't be caught off guard when your dog eats the rubber door stop bumpers.
