Symptoms of dogs swallowing foreign bodies

The main clinical symptoms of foreign bodies in the stomach of dogs are vomiting and loss of appetite. Vomiting occurs due to pyloric obstruction, gastric distension, and gastric irritation from foreign bodies. The appetite of different cases varies greatly when there is a foreign body in the stomach. Some sick dogs have normal appetites, while others are less fond of eating, and some are anorexic.

Diagnosis of foreign body ingestion in dogs

If the owner sees what the dog has eaten, a detailed medical history may be helpful in making a diagnosis. However, in the vast majority of cases, owners often have no idea what the animals have eaten, and just keep complaining about the animals' loss of appetite and vomiting. At this time, foreign bodies should be listed as one of the differential diagnoses. There are usually no obvious abnormalities when palpating the abdomen of most animals, but occasionally objects can be touched, such as a section of ribs in a dog's stomach or a large hair ball in a cat's stomach. Radiological tests can detect tumors or non-infectious objects in the stomach, but in most cases no abnormalities will be seen on a plain X-ray. The veterinarian may then consider radiography (gastrointestinal barium radiography) or endoscopy.

Treatment methods for dogs that have swallowed foreign bodies

Most foreign bodies can be removed endoscopically or surgically (laparotomy and gastrotomy). Both methods require the animal to be under general anesthesia, and it is necessary to ensure that the animal is not dehydrated and that the plasma electrolyte concentration is normal before proceeding. Prolonged vomiting in dogs can cause dehydration, but hypovolemic shock rarely occurs unless gastric perforation occurs.