Unfortunately, some animals, most often, are attracted to inedible objects like a magnet, and the owner does not always have time to keep track of his frisky pet. If you notice that in your mouth four-legged friend the sock disappears, but before you have time to take your item away, first of all try to induce vomiting. To do this, you can give the animal a strong solution of salt or sprinkle the same salt on the root of the tongue.
Will help you achieve desired result and a large amount of water (from half a liter to three liters depending on the size of the animal) poured into. Naturally, she will not want to voluntarily drink more than she needs, or consume salty liquids. You will have to draw water into a syringe without a needle (it is more convenient to use a large syringe) and pour the liquid into the animal’s mouth, holding it tightly and making sure that it does not choke. If you do everything correctly, the hosiery will soon come out along with the vomit.
It also makes sense to contact veterinary clinic, where doctors, using special drugs, will induce vomiting in the animal and remove a foreign object from it.
Sometimes inducing vomiting does not bring the desired result, or the dog swallowed the sock several hours ago, and this method is no longer useful. In this case, it is better to wait until the item of your wardrobe leaves the dog’s stomach naturally. If you wish, you can speed up the process by giving your dog a laxative. It can serve as vegetable oil. Just add a spoonful of oil to your animal’s usual food and wait for the result. During walks, carefully inspect the piles your pet leaves on the ground to make sure that the eaten sock has come out.
When to contact a veterinarian
For many animals, eating a sock passes without consequences, and soon the object leaves their body naturally. However, you may also encounter unexpected difficulties. A textile product can clog a dog's intestines, causing obstruction. In the most severe cases, this can be fatal.
Cotton socks are especially dangerous. This tissue is able to effectively absorb moisture and swell in the stomach, which makes it difficult for it to move through the digestive tract.
If the sock does not come out of your pet within one or two days, be sure to contact your veterinarian. The dog may need surgical intervention, but then your pet will be healthy again.
How dangerous is this?
The main danger of any unedible foreign object swallowed by an unlucky pet is that it can get stuck in one of the parts of the digestive tract, resulting in a blockage.
A foreign object compresses all the vessels around itself, and strong inflammatory processes. Later a short time pinched and inflamed tissue begins to die, which leads to perforation of the esophageal wall. Sharp bones damage the walls even faster.
Perforation of the wall of any organ is extremely dangerous. It can lead to inflammation of the mediastinum, peritonitis, and cause severe internal infection, which begins due to the entry of harmful bacteria into the abdominal cavity along with all the contents of the esophagus, intestines or stomach. All of the above, without providing medical care, leads to the rapid death of the dog.
Perhaps everything will be done without surgery, since modern endoscopic devices make it possible to remove small foreign bodies even from the stomach of an animal.
How to help?
Is it possible to provide first aid to your pet yourself? Yes!
Of course, this can only be done if the dog feels well and does not show any signs of illness or discomfort. Otherwise, see a doctor immediately!
So you notice that your dog has swallowed a bone - what should you do in this situation? The most important thing is not to waste time, since after damage to the organ wall you will no longer be able to help the dog on your own. Your task is to prevent it from being damaged. You should not wait for stool, hoping that the bone will be safely digested or come out naturally without causing any problems, since the chances of such an outcome are low.
Let's say a dog swallowed a whole bone (chicken) or some sharp part of it. Having noticed this, you should do the following as quickly as possible. Take a candle made of wax. As a rule, such candles can only be purchased in churches. Candles sold in supermarkets and hardware stores are made from paraffin, which is not suitable for us. Why? The fact is that wax has the ability to soften and melt at relatively low temperature(body temperature is quite enough for this). The melted wax, passing through the esophagus and entering the stomach, envelops the bones it encounters along the way, due to which the likelihood of their successful exit is significantly increased. A wax candle will help if your dog has swallowed a sharp bone or any other small sharp object.
Paraffin, alas, does not have such properties, so in this situation it will be completely useless.
So, you will have to purchase the smallest available candles from the nearest church and cut them into small circles, getting rid of the wick. The mugs should be of such a size that the dog can eat them easily. If you have a large dog, give him half a candle 3 times a day. If the dog is a miniature breed, a few cm is enough. 60-70 minutes after “taking” the candle, feed the pet the same food and in the same quantity as you always feed it.
What will all these manipulations give? First, the eaten and melted wax will soften and round the bone that the dog swallowed; secondly, in the company of food, the bone will slide through the intestines much easier and scratch them less.
If there is no way to get a real wax candle, you can try feeding the dog regular cotton wool soaked in Vaseline or sunflower oil.
If you are sure that the swallowed bone is not sharp and is small in size, you can simply pour about 40-60 grams of Vaseline oil into the dog’s mouth.
Attention! If the bone the dog swallowed was larger than beef bone– do not try to solve the problem yourself, contact your veterinarian immediately!
In any case, after all the manipulations performed, the dog must be shown to a doctor. If her condition worsens, then this must be done immediately!
It is equally important to know what you should never do.
- Firstly, it is forbidden to give laxatives. The fact is that as a result of the action of any laxative, the intestines begin to contract strongly, which increases the likelihood of damage to its walls by a sharp bone.
- Secondly, you cannot induce vomiting in an animal for the same reason that taking laxatives is prohibited.
Symptoms
Before you grab your head and stuff your pet with candles, you need to make sure that he actually ate the bone. If your dog has swallowed a bone, symptoms and signs of it may include:
- increased salivation,
- cough,
- belching,
- loss of appetite,
- vomit,
- dyspnea.
Of course, a lot depends on the characteristics of each dog and on how “successfully” it dined on the bone and, of course, what size and shape the last one was. If one dog immediately begins to vomit, cough and rapidly deteriorate, then the other may not notice that he ate something wrong, but all possible Negative consequences will bypass him.
The curiosity of our four-legged explorers knows no bounds. They are ready to try not only new treats, but also everything that comes their way. Is it any wonder that at one point they swallow something, be it a stick, paper or a piece of a rubber toy. Fortunately, in most cases, these things pass through the gastrointestinal tract without problems, surprising the owners at the exit with the quirkiness of the pet’s culinary preferences. However, sometimes the animal’s luck changes, and the foreign body becomes firmly stuck in the stomach or intestines.
Without a timely response, such a situation can cost the health and even the life of your four-legged pet, which is why it is so important to recognize the danger in time and seek help.
How to tell if your dog has eaten a foreign body
Even if you did not notice how an inedible object disappeared into the dog’s mouth, you should be alerted by signs indicating a possible obstruction:
- Vomit. Involuntary eruption of eaten food or water occurs immediately after eating or drinking. However, if it is not the stomach, but the intestines that are clogged, from the moment of eating it can take from a few minutes to a couple of hours. The main thing that should alert the owner is the regularity of vomiting. That is, everything that the dog tries to swallow comes back after a short time.
- Diarrhea. Liquid stool often contains large amounts of mucus or traces of blood. If a dog has swallowed a sharp object that has injured the walls of the stomach or intestines, the stool may be black - a sign of heavy internal bleeding.
- Abdominal pain. ABOUT pain says the animal's pose - a hunched back and a tense, toned stomach. The dog does not allow itself to be touched and whines when the peritoneum is touched.
- Lack of appetite. The dog is not only the usual food, but also a treat. Most often, the animal does not even approach the bowl, or, becoming interested for a second, sniffs and turns away.
- Tension during defecation. The dog sits down several times, straining, groans and grunts, sometimes squeals during the act of defecation. As a rule, when the gastrointestinal tract is blocked by a foreign body, only small portions of feces come out of the animal. This, by the way, is another of the main signs of obstruction.
- Weakness. The loss of fluid and electrolytes important for life (potassium, sodium) leads to dehydration of the body and, as a result, weakness and depression. You can check how dehydrated your pet’s body is using a simple test: grab your dog’s skin with two fingers and pull it as far as possible. If the skin does not smooth out within a few seconds, fluid loss has reached a critical level.
- Change in behavior. Lack of interest in life, depression and reluctance to communicate indicate feeling unwell dogs. In addition, manifestations of aggression are possible when trying to feel the belly or examine the pet’s mouth.
- Cough. If a foreign body is stuck in the throat or respiratory tract, the dog may try, trying to get rid of the object. In this case, increased salivation and convulsive attempts to swallow may be observed.
The insidiousness of this condition is that the symptoms of obstruction do not appear immediately. The dog may feel fine for several days or even weeks after swallowing the object, but the above signs may appear periodically or not at all. However, then the animal’s condition deteriorates sharply.
Medical diagnosis
At the first sign of a foreign body in the gastrointestinal tract, we recommend that you immediately consult a doctor. Remember that it is very difficult to diagnose such a problem, as they say, “by eye” - only clinical researches can confirm or refute the diagnosis.
- Palpation of the abdominal cavity. If the foreign body is quite large and dense, for example, a rubber ball, it is quite possible that it can be felt through the walls of the stomach. However, even if nothing is found during palpation, this is not a reason to exhale with relief. Great amount objects, such as a rag, bag or thread, cannot be felt by hand.
- X-ray. During the examination, stones, metal and rubber objects are clearly visible. Or, if the foreign body is not detected, the doctor may notice changes internal organs, characteristic of the presence of a foreign body.
- Radiographic examination. To track the progress of an object through the stomach and intestines, a contrast agent (most often barium) is used, which is given orally to the dog.
- Endoscopy. Today it is considered the most the best method foreign body diagnosis.
- Laboratory research. To rule out other causes of your pet's illness, your doctor may prescribe a blood test at biochemical analysis.
What to do?
The main problem in this situation is the critical amount of time allocated to the choice of therapy and the treatment itself. Foreign body squeezes vitally important vessels, leading to tissue necrosis and the development of peritonitis. This is why it is so important for owners to listen to the veterinarian’s recommendations and follow his instructions, because we are talking about the life of the pet.
If the object is stuck shallowly and, you can try to remove it with your hand, tweezers or medical forceps. To avoid injury, a special clamp is inserted into the animal’s mouth to prevent jaw compression.
If ingestion of a foreign body is noticed immediately, the best way out will induce vomiting in the dog using a 1.5% hydrogen peroxide solution. Peroxide, entering the gastrointestinal tract, expands, irritating the walls of the stomach. Generally, if vomiting is induced within 2 hours of ingestion, the item will come out without causing much harm.
Another effective way induce vomiting - pour a tablespoon of salt onto the root of the dog’s tongue (the dose is given for large dog). Irritation of the receptors leads to an involuntary gag reflex. Just remember to offer your dog water later - salt and subsequent vomiting causes extreme thirst.
To envelop a foreign body and facilitate its passage through the gastrointestinal tract, Vaseline oil is used, which is poured into the dog’s mouth. Due to the fact that this substance is not absorbed by the walls of the stomach, it helps to contract the intestinal muscles and smoother passage of the object through the digestive tract.
If the foreign body does not come out on its own, your doctor may recommend surgery. During the operation, the veterinarian opens the intestinal wall and removes the object. If necrotic areas are detected, resection (excision) of part of the stomach or intestine is performed.
After the operation is completed, the animal should be kept under to prevent the opening of internal bleeding or the development of peritonitis.
What not to do
Sometimes, wanting to help a pet, owners, unwittingly, significantly worsen its condition by producing unnecessary or dangerous actions. What should you never do?
- Pull an object out of your throat or anus yourself. By trying to remove a protruding object, you can further injure the walls of the stomach or larynx. Removing hard or sharp objects, as well as bodies with jagged surfaces, is especially dangerous. It is no less dangerous to pull out various threads or ropes. As they pass through the gastrointestinal tract, they can become entangled or, when caught on something, lead to ruptures in the walls of the stomach or intestines.
- Give antiemetic drugs. Medicinal substances, blocking the urge to vomit, do not improve the situation in any way, but only deprive the animal of the chance to get rid of the foreign body on its own and lubricate clinical picture diseases.
- Do an enema. Firstly, the enema irritates the intestinal walls, and secondly, if a foreign body leads to blockage, water, not finding a way out, can lead to rupture of internal organs and peritonitis.
- Give food or water. Any products entering the gastrointestinal tract cause new attacks of vomiting, which leads to rapid dehydration of the animal.
The following items pose a particular danger to our pets:
- Batteries. The acid contained in batteries can enter the dog's stomach, causing chemical burn And .
- Magnets. Small magnetic balls swallowed by an animal are unevenly distributed in the gastrointestinal tract and, through the walls of the stomach or intestines, literally stick to each other, pinching living tissues together. Necrosis and foci of inflammation very quickly form at the junction site.
- Cotton swabs. By absorbing water and increasing in size, tampons, firstly, accelerate dehydration, and secondly, they tightly clog the lumen, practically not moving due to the fleecy cotton structure.
- Threads and elastic bands. A long thread, despite its thinness, can cause great trouble. The rings of the gastrointestinal tract are literally strung on it and assembled into an accordion, also causing necrosis and rupture of sections of the intestine. An elastic band, when contracted, can cut tissue like a fishing line.
- Fillers for cat litter. Any liquid that gets on the filler granules causes them to stick together into a lump. Once in the dog’s stomach, the filler increases in size several times and causes obstruction.
How to keep your dog safe
To avoid the horrors described above, simply do not let your dog eat inedible or dangerous objects.
Dogs are very curious by nature. but sometimes their curiosity leads to trouble. This is especially true for dogs - "vacuum cleaners" who eat a lot of strange things. What kind of items did the doctors of our clinics take out from the gastrointestinal tract of dogs - socks, panties, bags, ropes, threads, needles, toys, bones, sticks and many other finds!
The symptoms of a foreign body in a dog depend greatly on where the object is located - in the mouth, throat or esophagus, stomach or intestines.
A foreign body in a dog's mouth is usually sticks or bones that are stuck between the dog's back teeth. One of the first signs is frequent movement of the jaw, profuse salivation, the dog rubs its face with its paws, and there may also be slight bleeding from the mouth. Do not try to remove a stick or bone yourself! Even if you manage to loosen the object, it may move into the throat. Contact the nearest veterinary clinic "Your Doctor", a doctor's examination is necessary, and sedation may also be required to remove a foreign body from the dog's mouth.
A foreign body in a dog's throat often causes signs of sudden suffocation and nausea. This condition often requires immediate intervention! As first aid, the owner can lift the dog by hind legs and shake it, in an emergency you can sharply squeeze the chest from the sides several times.
A foreign body in a dog's esophagus: signs - vomiting after eating, dehydration. To check whether your animal is dehydrated or not, collect a fold of skin on the dog's withers and release it, it should return to normal position fast.
When a dog has a foreign body in the trachea and lungs, the general depression of the animal increases at an alarming rate. You must consult a doctor immediately!
A foreign body in a dog's stomach is more difficult to diagnose. Some foreign bodies can remain in the stomach for several years without visible problems. But if the foreign body moves, it can lead to periodic vomiting.
Foreign body in a dog small intestine usually causes uncontrollable vomiting, dehydration, and severe pain in the abdominal wall.
A foreign body in the dog's rectum: if it is sharp objects - sticks, bone fragments, needles, etc. - the dog repeatedly hunches over, possible constipation, blood in the stool. It is important for owners to follow the rule: never pull on a foreign object that is protruding from your pet's rectum! This can be very dangerous, even leading to intestinal rupture. Contact the nearest veterinary clinic "Your Doctor".
Foreign body in a dog. Causes and symptoms
Almost all foreign bodies in the gastrointestinal tract are objects that are consumed by the animal. One exception is trichobezoars (hairballs). Threads and strings swallowed by your dog often become wrapped around the root of the tongue. Inspect carefully oral cavity pet!
Symptoms that require you to contact a veterinarian:
- Vomit
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain (the dog does not allow himself to be picked up, his back is hunched)
- Anorexia (lack or decreased appetite)
- Straining during bowel movements, constipation
- Lethargy
- Dehydration
Foreign body in a dog. Diagnostics
Required for diagnosis general analysis blood, biochemical blood test, urine test. These findings help rule out other causes of vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, and abdominal pain. It is necessary to take x-rays using a contrast agent.
Foreign body in a dog that causes intestinal obstruction, prolonged vomiting, diarrhea can lead to significant metabolic changes in the body. In addition, a foreign body can cause perforation of the organ wall and exit into the chest or abdominal cavity, leading to profound complications such as peritonitis, sepsis and death. Many foreign bodies consist of toxic materials that are absorbed by the body - this leads to profound systemic diseases.
Foreign body in a dog. Treatment Options
There are several treatment options depending on your dog's condition. If you have recently swallowed foreign objects, you may try to induce vomiting. It is also necessary to remove mineral oil, which facilitates the passage of foreign bodies through the gastrointestinal tract within 48 hours.
Some objects can be removed using an endoscope. If the animal has symptoms such as vomiting blood or severe pain, then intravenous infusions and painkillers are necessary. Your veterinarian will suggest admitting your dog to the clinic for observation. The decision to operate is usually made on the basis of x-rays and ultrasound results. A blockage in the intestines or stomach can reduce blood flow to the GI tissues, which can become necrotic. If the foreign body is in the stomach or intestines, the object is removed by making an incision in the intestines or stomach. If there are necrotic tissues and parts of the intestine, they are also removed.
After the operation intensive care With intravenous injection fluids, painkillers and antibiotics are administered. Feeding the dog after surgery begins 1 to 2 days later. It is advisable to use special diets for nutrition at first.
Foreign body in a dog. Forecast
In most cases, dogs with foreign bodies that do not cause blockages have a good prognosis. However, in general, the prognosis depends on several factors:
- property location
- duration of obstruction caused by the object
- size, shape and characteristics of the object
- whether or not the object will cause secondary diseases
- general state the dog's health before a foreign body enters
Foreign body in a dog. Prevention
- eliminate bones from the diet
- Don't let your dog chew sticks
- Keep an eye on the animal during games and walks; if the dog is prone to wandering, put a muzzle on it
- ask for advice veterinarian when choosing toys that are harmless for your dog.
- if your dog often eats strange objects, consult the doctors at our clinics; there may be a general metabolic disorder
And remember - your pet's life is in your hands.
Hello! The Jack Russell Terrier puppy is 6 months old. He swallowed something (presumably a piece of “chew” bought in a specialty store) 5 days ago. He is coughing, but not intensely. Eats and drinks without visible discomfort. Occasionally (3-4 times in the evening) short asmatic attacks. Apparently no pain, cheerful, vaccinated. Yesterday it started leaking from the peepholes. Quite intensely. We live abroad. There is no opportunity to visit a doctor.
How dangerous is this? Can the body cope on its own? The stuck object is clearly sitting in the trachea area. It is not visible from the throat. We made the puppy sneeze, it didn’t help... What should I do? Help me please!
katerina
It is difficult to advise you on any specific option for getting your puppy out of trouble without knowing what the “chew” is actually made of, a piece of which your puppy swallowed. As far as I know, “gnaws” can be made from both natural (tendon) and artificial (plastic) materials.
If the “gnawing” is natural, then perhaps you are worrying in vain and this condition of the puppy will go away by itself.
If it doesn't pass for a long time, then before contacting the veterinarian, try pouring Vaseline oil into the edge of his mouth. However, it is difficult to say exactly how much of this liquid should be poured into the puppy. After all, Vaseline oil is a laxative. Try to give no more than one tablespoon to begin with.
Also, if a solid object is swallowed, for example, glass, rubber, wire, you can give him castor oil with milk and bread.
You can cleanse your stomach by using using the following methods. Prepare a solution of table salt at the rate of one teaspoon per 500 ml of warm water. The finished solution is given to the dog in the same way as liquid medicine (by infusion into the cheek) until vomiting occurs.
The following can be used as improvised emetics:
1. Table salt - two teaspoons per glass of warm water. Forcefully inject through the mouth using a syringe.
2. Mustard - one tablespoon per glass of warm water.
Watch closely when your puppy vomits. If you notice a foreign object already in the throat, quickly try to grab it with your hands and pull it out.
If none of the above helps, you still need to contact a veterinarian. Contact a veterinary clinic that performs gastroscopy; the foreign body may be able to be removed using a flexible endoscope through the mouth.
Many foreign bodies, even very large ones, can freely pass through the intestines in dogs.
Your puppy may need x-rays and surgery. Especially if you are not entirely sure what exactly he swallowed.
The puppy puts everything in his mouth. Make sure that there are no small objects, needles, pens, children's cars, etc. within your reach. Another problem when keeping a puppy is the objects surrounding it.
