Like toddlers, pets have a tendency to chew and ingest various objects. This becomes a serious and potentially life threatening problem if the objects become lodged in the intestines or stomach. An animal who has ingested string or ribbon can develop a linear foreign body which is even more dangerous.
When objects are too large to pass, they usually obstruct at the stomach outflow or within the small intestine itself. With linear foreign bodies, the continual movement of the intestinal tract can literally bunch the intestines into an accordion-like mass.
Most patients with digestive foreign bodies exhibit vomiting. If the object has not fully clogged the intestinal tract the vomiting may be intermittent. With a complete blockage the dog or cat will not be able to keep anything down. The longer the blockage lasts the more critical the patients condition will become.
When the foreign body is a sharp object the risk of it perforating through the intestines or stomach is high. In the case the patients condition will become critical and fatal fast with infection.
This week two of our patients came in with these typical symptoms and upon radiographic evaluation the issue was very clear. Both dogs had ingested a foreign body.
The first patient a standard poodle, had clearly ingested a sewing needle and other questionable objects we
re noticed as well. 
An emergency abdominal explore was immediately preformed and Dr. Zarif removed not one but 4 foreign objects! 2 socks, a wad of paper and the sewing needle. 
re noticed as well. 
Our second foreign body surgery was a little Jack Russel who ate a large screw. Radiographs were taken and it was clear another emergency exploratory surgery was necessary. During the surgery Dr. Burns retrieved not only the screw that had perforated through the intestinal wall. In the picture a rope toy was wrapped around the screw and a little yellow rubber
toy.
We are happy to report that both patients doing well and recovering from their surgeries. Hopefully this wont be a reoccurring issue for either of them.
