Foreign bodies in tissues and organs in a dog. What to do if a dog has a bone stuck in its intestines

Obstruction (blockage by a foreign body) digestive tract) is one of the most common reasons pet owners treat young age to see a veterinarian.

Every veterinarian has a whole collection of various foreign objects that have been removed from the digestive tract of pets. Most often this various bones, toys, textiles, threads with sewing needles, jewelry. Such a misfortune can happen to every animal, even if its owner is extremely attentive. So that the pet does not have the desire to swallow foreign objects, you should carefully educate the animal, as well as regularly give him special treats for dogs that will satisfy the need to gnaw everything in a row (besides, they are a good prevention of diseases oral cavity).

The foreign body can stop and cause a blockage in any part of the alimentary canal. The most common areas of the alimentary canal in which foreign bodies "get stuck" are: thoracic part esophagus just before the sphincter to the stomach, body of the stomach and pyloric canal, duodenum.

Symptoms

Symptoms vary and depend on the site of blockage, as well as the degree of canal obstruction. Many dog diseases have the same symptoms, so if they are detected, you should immediately contact a veterinarian for examination.

If the foreign body is "stuck" in the esophagus, then you may notice that the dog is coughing, experiencing restlessness, shortness of breath, lack of appetite and hypersalivation (increased salivation). In some cases, with preserved appetite, regurgitation appears ( dog food, untreated by gastric juice, is burped by the animal).

If a foreign body has entered the stomach, but its size does not allow it to pass further into the digestive canal, and at the same time it does not cause obstruction (blockage), clinical symptoms may be "erased": for example, rare occasional vomiting in dogs, usually on an empty stomach. There are cases when a foreign body was discovered several years after ingestion. If the foreign body is under the influence gastric juice dissolves, this can lead to intoxication, cause poisoning in the dog by the products of the interaction of the foreign body material with the gastric contents. Then the animal will show signs of intoxication, disruption of the internal organs, etc.

Even if the foreign body material is intact (does not dissolve, is not absorbed by the body, does not cause poisoning), a long stay in the stomach cavity will cause mechanical irritation of its wall and subsequently lead to gastritis and ulceration.

In case of obstruction by a foreign body thin department intestines, the animal vomits. Appetite is usually preserved. However, some time after eating, vomiting of semi-digested food is noted. If the obstruction is incomplete and there are holes in the foreign body, liquid food and water can pass, and only solid food will provoke vomiting. It is believed that when a foreign body obstructs the digestive canal, there is a lack of feces. In some cases, this is true, however, with incomplete obstruction, defecation persists, and sometimes diarrhea in dogs is also noted.

Consequences

If a dog has swallowed a bone or other object with sharp edges, there is a high probability of perforation (damage, perforation of the organ wall). This leads to mediastinitis (inflammation of the mediastinum) and pneumomediastinum (the appearance of free gas in the mediastinum) if we are talking about the esophagus; peritonitis (inflammation of the peritoneum) and the appearance of free gas in abdominal cavity if the wall of the stomach or intestines is damaged. Together with the contents, bacteria enter the abdominal cavity or mediastinum through a rupture of the organ wall, which causes bacterial infection. This condition is very dangerous and often leads to the death of the animal.

But even if the shape of a foreign body without sharp corners, at the site of blockage, the wall of the organ undergoes inflammation, the vessels are pinched, which ultimately leads to necrosis (tissue necrosis) and perforation of the wall.

Therefore, the time for this pathology is worst enemy. You can not pull with an appeal to a specialist for help and hope that everything will go away by itself.

Diagnostics

The diagnosis of "obstruction of the digestive canal by a foreign body" is made on the basis of anamnesis (medical history), clinical examination of the animal and additional methods diagnostics, the most important of which are radiography and ultrasonography (ultrasound).

Treatment

Treatment is usually surgical. If a foreign body is located in the esophagus or stomach, it can often be removed using endoscopic techniques without resorting to surgical treatment.

How to protect your pet from such a pathology?

Buy dog toys strictly according to the size of your pet. Do not buy small and easily damaged toys. Their size should be clearly larger than the item that your pet is able to swallow.
Treats and toys made from dried and pressed tendons also choose the right size and throw away the remaining pieces on time.
Do not feed bones to your pet. You'd be surprised how large bones can be accidentally swallowed by dogs and cats.
If during a walk your dog on the street picks up everything that catches her eye, be sure to wear a muzzle to prevent swallowing foreign objects and prevent poisoning.
Watch out for children's toys. Often swallowed are nipples, pacifiers, fragments of children's play mats, etc.

Let communication with your pet bring you only joy and happiness!

One of the reasons for the defeat gastrointestinal tract in dogs is a foreign body, which different reasons was ingested by animals. Often this happens during active games (small toys, chewing on parts of large objects), eating (large bone fragments, eating packaging), as well as when the dog eats inedible objects on the street. A variety of foreign bodies are found in the gastrointestinal tract of dogs - from pieces of polyethylene and fragments of toys to items of clothing of the owners.

Foreign body in dogs symptoms

Signs, at the appearance of which it is possible to suspect the ingestion of foreign objects by an animal:

Inclination to vomit or vomit varying degrees expressiveness.
Diarrhea, often with an admixture of blood.
Pain in the abdomen, which is manifested by hunching and soreness when touched.
Decreased appetite up to complete absence.
Visible tension when trying to defecate.
Dehydration.
Apathy, lethargy.

Other symptoms of foreign bodies in a dog depend on their location in the gastrointestinal tract.

Foreign body in dog's esophagus

Ingestion of objects into the esophagus often leads to its blockage. Complete obstruction is characterized by restless behavior, stretching of the neck, salivation, urge to vomit, and frequent attempts to swallow. Palpation determines a limited area of swelling with severe pain.

With incomplete obstruction by a foreign body in the esophagus, the dog may retain appetite, but there is vomiting during meals. Sharp objects can cause a rupture of the esophageal wall, which leads to the formation of an abscess or phlegmon in the affected area. Dehydration develops, general depression.

Foreign body in the stomach of a dog

If a foreign object has passed the esophagus and entered the stomach, irritation of the mucous membrane becomes the leading symptom. Perforation of the walls is possible from the impact of not only sharp, but also blunt objects with a large mass or volume. When the stomach is perforated, its contents enter the abdominal cavity, leading to the development of peritonitis.

Develops a syndrome of obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract, necrosis of the affected areas. A foreign body in the stomach of a dog leads to a general deterioration in the condition, loss of appetite, weakening of peristalsis.

Additionally, a pronounced thirst, accompanied by vomiting, joins. Characteristic is the absence of bloating, which occurs when a foreign body enters the intestine. Possibly impaired defecation. Small objects can remain asymptomatically in the stomach for several years.

Foreign body in the intestines of a dog

The entry of objects into the upper intestines leads to indomitable vomiting (and dehydration as a result), severe pain in the abdomen.

Foreign bodies V lower sections (colon, rectum) appear depending on the sharpness of the edges. Blunt objects can cause pain intestinal obstruction, bloating, ischemia of the nearest areas due to compression. The presence of sharp foreign bodies in the intestines of a dog is manifested by constant attempts to hunch over, thin stools with an admixture of blood, less often - constipation. Symptoms may join general intoxication and dehydration.

Diagnostics

Public precise methods to detect foreign bodies does not exist. Ultrasound can only suggest their presence. X-ray reveals radio-opaque objects (metal, bones). The most accurate information about the presence and location of foreign bodies is provided by an X-ray contrast image with barium desoldering. Sometimes, if a foreign body is suspected and its diagnosis is difficult, they resort to a diagnostic laparotomy.

What to do if a dog has swallowed a foreign body?

For blockage symptoms upper divisions gastrointestinal tract, it is necessary to examine the oral cavity. Often long objects (threads, ropes, hair) are wound around the root of the tongue and can be removed.

Foreign bodies are not large sizes excreted in the esophagus with the use of emetics. Sometimes used Vaseline oil to help push the object into the stomach. Large objects are removed with forceps or esophagoscope under local anesthesia.

They try to remove objects with smooth edges from the stomach using emetics, if this fails, then surgically. Revealing sharp objects needs urgent surgical intervention.

If the dog has eaten a foreign body, symptomatic drugs are additionally prescribed:

intravenous infusion saline solutions to correct dehydration and acidosis.
Gastroprotectors.
Antibiotics.

With pronounced pain syndrome The veterinarian prescribes painkillers. The first 2-3 days after surgery, a strict starvation diet is observed.

In our veterinary center, all animals with suspected foreign body and intestinal obstruction undergo strict preoperative diagnostics. In some cases, a council of doctors meets to decide on the operation. As a rule, after the operation, the animals are left in the hospital clinic, under the supervision of doctors, to control recovery and rehabilitation.

Dogs often swallow inedible objects. This can happen during play (too small ball, chewed toys and household items) or foraging (eating bones or food with packaging). Sometimes this happens in front of the owner, and sometimes a foreign body in the dog's stomach is discovered by chance, during a routine examination. These can be toys, rags (especially often - household linen), polyethylene, needles, coins, stones, pieces of wood, etc.

Signs of a foreign body in a dog's stomach

Sometimes foreign bodies in the stomach can stay for months without showing themselves. But more often they cause symptoms of gastritis or obstruction:

vomiting (usually some time after eating),
soreness in the stomach,
loss of appetite,
decline body weight,
lack of stool or melena,
lethargy.

The sharp edges of a foreign object can injure the wall of the stomach up to its perforation and the development of peritonitis. Also, a long stay in the stomach of even a soft foreign object causes inflammation of the walls of the stomach and can lead to their necrosis. This threatens not only the health, but also the life of the dog.

If there is a suspicion that the dog has swallowed foreign object, you need to deliver it to veterinary clinic without waiting for the appearance of clinical signs.

Diagnosis of a dog with a foreign body in the stomach

Treatment of a dog with a foreign body in the stomach

Treatment consists in removing the foreign body from the dog's stomach and subsequent therapy according to the condition ( intravenous infusion with dehydration, the appointment of antibiotics and gastroprotectors). If the foreign object is not too large, then it can be removed during gastroscopy. If this is not possible, then it will be necessary surgery- gastrotomy. After it, the animal usually remains under observation in the hospital for several days.

Prevention

Bones for a dog are a delicacy, but not all of them are as safe for the animal as they seem. Many owners believe that such a "delicacy" for their pets is the best food, but this is fundamentally wrong. The consequences that occur after such nutrition are rather deplorable, so much so that they lead to death.

What bones should not be given to a dog

It is forbidden to give chicken bones, in any form, neither boiled, nor smoked, nor raw, due to their excessive fragility for the animal's teeth.

Do not give your dog chicken bones.

When a pet bites through them, the bones break into many particles that affect: palate, gums, esophagus, internal organs digestive tract. Splitting up chicken bones inside - obstruction, invagination of the intestine.

Even more tangible harm is done by the fish skeleton and its smaller branches. Dog teeth are quite large and not designed to process such "food". The presence of small fish particles inside the intestine - blockage, punctures, injuries to the wall of the mucous membrane of the organ.

Harm

As for harm to dogs, small fish fragments pierce the mucous membranes of the stomach and intestines, injure the entire digestive tract .
Among other things, more small fragments can create a blockage in the lumens of the abdominal organs . Such a blockage can be eliminated only through surgery or even cost the animal its life.

Fish bones can damage the stomach lining.

Conditionally safe bones

The bones of beef or pork are considered conditionally safe.

True, not all parts of the skeleton. You can give the dog large moss to gnaw. A pet will not be able to bite such a block into small fragments, but it will sharpen its teeth and enjoy it. The nutritional value such food is very doubtful, but dogs are creatures from the family of predators and they need to constantly prove their worth in this regard. But it should be remembered that exceptions also happen and are rare, but such mosls can also split, so you should be careful.

Big bones are safer for the dog.

sugar bones

But you can also occasionally give your pet the so-called "sugar bones", on which there are few veins or meat leftovers.

You can give your dog bones that have meat on them.

Such parts of the skeleton practically cannot be crushed, which makes them as safe as possible and can be used as a treat for a dog. Nutritional value, however, is also questionable, but for pleasure pet can be used. In addition, the "squabbling" of the bones acts as a kind of prevention of tartar and plaque.

How to tell if a dog has a bone stuck in its throat

If the owner has not personally seen the eating of dangerous food, there are a number of signs by which problems can be suspected. Main symptoms:

Nausea is the main syndrome of bone stuck in the throat.

Some of the listed symptoms are general, and some indicate the direct presence of a foreign object in a certain place.

Symptoms

The presence of fragments in the esophagus will "show themselves" immediately after eating.
The dog begins to lick, opens its mouth wide.
The use of even small amounts of food or liquid leads to nausea and vomiting.
When trying to eat something, drink, the dog chokes, coughs.
The vomit contains the remnants of undigested food, twisted into bundles.
Against this background, dehydration, weight loss begins.
If the bone fragments are in the stomach, vomiting begins after two hours after eating. This usually happens when the pet's diet is constantly supplemented with bones, which subsequently leads to the formation of conglomerates that clog the lumen.
Most serious condition when foreign fragments are localized in the intestine.
The dog's stomach swells strongly, flatulence begins.
A severe pain syndrome is registered.

When trying to eat, the dog develops a cough.

What to do (first aid)?

You can help the pet on your own only if the foreign body is stuck between the teeth, and it is visible. To do this, you can use tweezers and a flashlight. However, if the fragments have gone further and have already injured the mucous membranes, only surgical intervention can help the dog.

Never make your dog vomit . With vomiting spasms, the contents are brought out, but at the same time it can damage all the mucous membranes that come across on the way. Then the pet is guaranteed to die. Possible help with a slight blockage, the dog will be fed bread, boiled cold rice in large volumes.
A large amount of fibrous food can envelop the mucous membranes, subsequently gently removing sharp fragments from the body. You can mix bread and rice, add your favorite food and feed it to your dog. Over the next few days, all symptoms will disappear. If such a measure does not help and the dog continues to behave suspiciously, the patient should be urgently taken to the clinic.
The presence of fragments and injuries in the stomach suggests the removal of the damaged part of the stomach, followed by restorative therapy . Often, bone fragments provoke intestinal obstruction, intussusception. In such cases, only surgery can help. In some cases, you can do endoscopic method removal of a foreign body from the stomach cavity. But with intestinal invagination, this method will not bring the desired effect, likely method help may be a partial resection.
If there is the slightest suspicion of a suspected pathology, in no case should one hesitate . Rehabilitation treatment involves prescribing antibiotics to prevent possible complications and development of infection. Applies symptomatic therapy- painkillers, antispasmodics, drugs that reduce hyperthermia of the body.

If the jam is shallow, then you can use tweezers.

Prevention

Prevention is careful attention to pets. Develop a diet according to the doctor's recommendations. Do not allow the consumption of "random" food, limit walks in dangerous places, which are located near garbage containers or landfills. The key to a pet's health is care and attention, a timely response to the animal's suspicious behavior.

Foreign body in the gastrointestinal tract of a dog.

A foreign body is a common pathology with which our patients come to the reception.

The objects that pets can swallow are very diverse in shape and structure. In dogs, these are toys, bones, sticks, pieces of wall and floor decoration, socks, tights, stones.

It is important to contact the veterinary clinic in time if the dog has swallowed a foreign body, because the presence of a foreign object in the gastrointestinal tract injures the intestines and stomach, disrupts peristalsis and the passage of food. If a foreign body in a dog is present for several days, then it may be severe inflammation intestines up to the necrosis of its wall and sepsis. There is also a perforation of the intestine with a foreign body. This is very severe complication that requires immediate surgical treatment.

Therefore, if a dog has swallowed a foreign body “in front of” the owner, it is necessary to contact the veterinarian as soon as possible.

Symptoms.

1. Refusal to eat.
2. Vomiting, especially repeated.
3. Often - no stool.
4. Possible lethargy
5. Pain in the abdomen is possible

Only one or more of these symptoms may be present.

However, the animal may retain appetite and stool if the foreign object blockage is incomplete. Especially if the foreign body is in the dog's stomach. A foreign body in the intestines of a dog often gives more severe symptoms, because the lumen is already there and the blockage affects its function more.

The same symptoms can be characteristic of many other diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and not only. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the animal comprehensively, excluding other possible diseases.

Diagnostics.

Diagnosis of foreign bodies in animals includes x-rays in a direct and lateral projection, panoramic and with contrast, blood tests, a test for pancreatic lipase. Perhaps an abdominal ultrasound, tests for viral infections. These examinations will differentiate the presence of a foreign body from viral infection, pancreatitis, diseases of the liver and kidneys, inflammation of the stomach and intestines without the participation of a foreign body. Research needs to be done in as soon as possible after the onset of symptoms, because the presence of a foreign object in the stomach or intestines for a long time can cause serious complications.

The main confirmation of the presence of a foreign object is usually found on x-rays. Some objects are radiopaque, that is, visible on plain radiographs. It's metal and rubber. Many are not visible regular shots, you need to give contrast and shoot in dynamics. Used as a contrast water solution barium sulfate, which is given at the appointment by the doctor or the owners of the animal themselves. The first picture should be taken after 15 minutes. If a foreign object is in the esophagus, the barium will stop at its level or stain it. If the barium passed to the stomach during this time, did not stop, did not settle on a foreign object, the next picture is taken after 4 hours (the passage of the contrast through the small intestine is assessed) and after 8 (by this time the contrast should go into the rectum). If barium sulfate does not pass any site, suspect a foreign body in the stomach or intestines of the dog.

Treatment.

If the foreign object is small, smaller than the diameter small intestine, and not long, its spontaneous removal is possible. To speed up the process, you can give vaseline oil at the rate of 1 ml per kg of weight. If it is large, surgery is required.

Prevention consists in removing all potentially dangerous objects from the animal’s access zone and not allowing sticks and stones, other inedible objects to be picked up on the street.