A gastrointestinal foreign body is an ingested object that lodges somewhere between the esophagus and the colon and blocks or damages the gut. It is one of the most common reasons for emergency abdominal surgery in dogs, and the outcome depends mostly on how quickly the obstruction is recognized and how much bowel has been damaged by the time it is removed.
Key facts
Gastrointestinal foreign body at a glance- Species and system: dog; esophagus, stomach and small intestine (objects that reach the colon usually pass).
- Cause: swallowing non-digestible items: toys, socks and fabric, balls, bones, fruit pits, corn cobs, string, hair ties, fishhooks and needles.
- Who: young dogs and indiscriminate eaters; young large-breed dogs in particular.
- Classic presentation: acute vomiting, anorexia and lethargy, sometimes with abdominal pain, after access to a chewed or missing object.
- Two types that behave differently: discrete (focal) objects that plug the lumen, and linear objects (string, fabric) that anchor and plicate the bowel.
- Not zoonotic, not reportable.
What's inside
12 sections in the full guide- Key facts
- How the NAVLE tests this
- Cause and pathophysiology
- Clinical signs
- Diagnosis
- Differential diagnoses
- Treatment and management
- Prevention
- Prognosis
- Quick review
- Test yourself
- References
The full guide also has 5 tables, 3 figures, 3 self-test questions and 13 references, available to NAVLE members.
Read the full study guide
The full guide is part of every NAVLE plan, with diagnosis and treatment tables, figures, a quick review and self-test questions. Start a free trial to try the question bank, or log in if you are already a member.