Matamata Veterinary Services | Latest News

Latest News

Ingestion of Foreign Objects

July 12, 2021

All too often we treat pets who have accidently eaten objects they are  not meant to have.  Things such as fish hooks, balls, items of clothing, bedding and corn cobs, to mention but a few.  These objects can get stuck ast they try to make their way through the long tortuous gastrointestinal tract and can cause life threatening damage if not removed in time.

  • It can be very difficult to determine if there is a foreign object lodges somewhere in the body as signs can be very vague.
  • Sometimes the only abnormal behaviour we see is a depressed and lethargic pet, maybe eating less or nothing at all. 
  •  On occasion the signs will include a sore stomach with retching, regurgitation or vomiting depending on where the object has lodged.

If we have high suspicions of a foreign object we take x-rays and/or use ultrasound to try and locate the culprit.  X-rays are best at picking up bony, metal or very dense objects as these show up very well.  Alternatively, on ultrasound we can see the intestinal walls, fluid and very often the object itself.

If we do detect an object we need to perform surgery under a general anaesthetic to remove it.

Photo cred : I-stock