When Curiosity Turns Deadly: Understanding Gut Obstructions in Dogs

Dogs are curious by nature. They love to investigate new sights, smells, and tastes. Unfortunately, this curiosity can get them into trouble.

Foreign Body Obstructions

Dogs are notorious for swallowing paper, tissues, articles of clothing, sticks, bones, food wrappers, rocks, and other foreign objects which is why, one of the more common and potentially life-threatening conditions seen at the SPCA’s Animal Hospital is foreign body obstruction.

Here’s What You Should Look Out For:

Vomiting
Diarrhoea
Abdominal tenderness or pain
Decreased appetite (know as anorexia)
Straining to defecate or producing only small amounts of faeces
Lethargy
Changes in behaviour such as biting or growling when picked up or handled around the abdomen

Cape of Good Hope SPCA Head Veterinarian, Dr Rivona Ramnanan says “Time is important when dealing with a potential foreign body. An intestinal or stomach obstruction can compromise or cut off the blood supply to vital tissues. If the blood supply is interrupted, these tissues may become necrotic or die, and irreparable damage or shock may result”.

Diagnosis

After obtaining a thorough medical history, your veterinarian will perform a careful physical examination. If a foreign body is suspected, abdominal radiographs (X-rays) will be performed. In addition, your veterinarian may recommend blood and urine tests to assess whether your dog’s health has been compromised by the obstruction, or to rule-out other causes of vomiting such as pancreatitis, gastroenteritis, infections, or hormonal diseases such as Addison’s disease.

Treatment

If a foreign body obstruction is diagnosed or suspected, exploratory surgery is generally recommended during which any foreign body will be removed under general anesthesia.

Prognosis

The prognosis is largely dependent on the location of the foreign body, the duration of the obstruction, what your pet ingested that resulted in the obstruction and the overall health of your pet.

These two dogs were lucky, their owners sought help quickly and our passionate and dedicated veterinary team wasted no time in getting them the help they needed. None of us can watch our pets all the time so if your pet seems unwell, play it safe and speak to your Vet!

Source: Cape of Good Hope SPCA

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Disclaimer: The information produced by Infurmation is provided for general and educational purposes only and does not constitute any legal, medical or other professional advice on any subject matter. These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Always seek the advice of your vet or other qualified health care provider prior to starting any new diet or treatment and with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you suspect that your pet has a medical problem, promptly contact your health care provider.