![\"cat,](\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Untitled-design-2022-01-25T195502.381.png\")
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If you know or strongly suspect your pet ingested a foreign body that is causing illness, this is considered an \u201cORANGE\u201d \u2013 or urgent case \u2013 on our Fast Track Triage system. We recommend having your pet see your family veterinarian or local animal emergency hospital within the next 12 hours. Please call ahead of your arrival so the veterinary team knows to expect you! <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Note that a foreign body ingestion with no signs of illness is considered a \u201cYELLOW\u201d \u2013 or semi-urgent case \u2013 on our Fast Track Triage system. We recommend having your pet evaluated by your family veterinarian or local animal emergency hospital within 24 hours. Call ahead of your arrival so the veterinary team knows to expect you, and if your pet begins to show signs of illness, call the team back to inform them of the status change. <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Dogs and cats are notoriously curious creatures, which can sometimes lead them into trouble. Many times, this curiosity leads them to eat items not intended for ingestion! Socks, underwear, wrappers, rubber bands, yarn, corn cobs, toys \u2013 you name it, there\u2019s probably a pet who has eaten it! In the animal ER, we call these items \u201cforeign bodies,\u201d and while sometimes they will pass through a pet\u2019s GI tract with no problem, they can also be a true emergency that requires immediate surgery. So whether your pet is new to this rebellious lifestyle or is a repeat offender, here\u2019s what pet parents need to know about foreign body ingestions!<\/p>\n Sometimes, it\u2019s very simple to know if your pet ate something they shouldn\u2019t\u00a0<\/span>have\u00a0<\/span>because you\u00a0<\/span>saw<\/span>\u00a0them swallow it. Other times, you may have to do some detective work at the crime scene. Clues often include:<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If you didn\u2019t witness your pet eating a foreign body and there\u2019s no evidence around the house, you may instead notice your pet exhibiting the following symptoms:<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n X-ray of dog who ate seven squeaker toys & had them surgically removed.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n Whether or not the item may cause a problem depends on multiple factors such as the size of the item, the texture\/composition of the item, and the size of your pet.\u00a0When an item is swallowed, it needs to make its way down to the stomach and then into the small intestine.\u00a0The small intestine is a long, thin tube that is approximately the width of a pen for\u00a0a cat or small dog and the width of a Crayola marker for a large breed dog. Keep this information in mind:\u00a0even small items such as almonds can cause an obstruction in cats (We\u2019ve seen it multiple times!). The item then goes into the colon, which is a much shorter and wider tube. It then moves through the rectum and passes out of the body.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In this digestion journey, the places that are most popular for foreign bodies to get stuck are at the sphincter where the stomach meets the small intestine\u00a0(called the pylorus) or somewhere within the long, thin small intestine.\u00a0Factors that determine if a foreign body will become obstructive include its size, bulk\u00a0(like\u00a0stuffing,)\u00a0and firmness\u00a0(a rock vs a soft toy).\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Unfortunately, there is no easy\u00a0at-home test\u00a0to determine\u00a0if\u00a0your pet has an obstruction\u00a0or not. Typically, the worse the symptoms and the longer the symptoms have been present,\u00a0the more likely an obstruction\u00a0\u2013 but this is\u00a0<\/span>not<\/span><\/i>\u00a0an absolute rule\u00a0of thumb! The best way to determine an obstruction is to\u00a0have\u00a0a veterinary examination\u00a0and imaging.\u00a0Usually,\u00a0x-rays are performed first, but sometimes ultrasound will be utilized.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s\u00a0important to know that most foreign objects are not easily seen on\u00a0x-rays. X-rays are pictures made\u00a0of various shades of grey \u2013 and\u00a0many foreign\u00a0material\u00a0(like\u00a0fabric, wrappers,\u00a0and\u00a0food) will show up as the same shade of grey as the stomach or intestines themselves.\u00a0Items made of metal like coins, or items made of dense mineral, like rocks or bone\u00a0are more visible\u00a0as they\u00a0show\u00a0a very bright shade of grey\/white.\u00a0So,\u00a0it may be\u00a0very easy\u00a0to see a foreign body \u2013 or it might be very tricky! Veterinarians will also use\u00a0clues such as the size\/fullness of the stomach and size of the intestines to\u00a0evaluate for\u00a0a\u00a0possible obstruction.<\/span><\/p>\n If a foreign body obstruction is suspected,\u00a0<\/span>treatment options<\/span>\u00a0include<\/span>:<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n
\n![\"dog,](\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Untitled-design-2022-01-25T195926.361.png\")
<\/p>\nInitial Signs at Home<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n
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Symptoms in Your Pet<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n
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![\"x-ray,](\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Untitled-design-2022-01-25T200003.245.png\")
What happens if my pet does swallow a foreign body?<\/span><\/span><\/h4>\n
How<\/span>\u00a0do I know if my pet has an obstruction?<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n
![\"emergency](\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Untitled-design-2022-01-25T195953.354.png\")
<\/p>\nHow is a foreign body treated?<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n
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![\"dog,](\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Untitled-design-2022-01-25T195944.144.png\")
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