Several days ago I received a phone call from a deeply concerned woman about her Chihuahua who had accidentally swallowed the core of a peach. This poor animal was really suffering and showing a number of symptoms common to animals that have swallowed something that is not digestible (what we normally refer to as a Foreign Body).
Symptoms That Your Pet Has Swallowed Something Dangerous
Here is how you can tell if your pet has swallowed something dangerous. You may see some or all of the following warning signs:
Vomiting
Salivation
Depression
They do not want to move
Before calling me, she had contacted a number of other animal hospitals and they had all recommended surgery to remove the peach core. When I received her call, I was able to suggest a much healthier and non-invasive option, with virtually no recovery time: endoscopy. It is a very simple procedure that requires no incision. After applying light anesthesia, I was able to remove the peach core in about 4 minutes without any harm. There was virtually no recovery time, no post-surgery hospitalization time, and my client spent a lot less money than she would have on surgery.
Her situation is actually very common. Very often animals swallow something that they are not able to digest. Whether it is a peach core, toys, coins, a belt, or even something more harmful, many animal hospitals will suggest surgery. But surgery to remove something from an animal's stomach is highly invasive and painful for the animal because of the incision and bleeding. Not to mention the significant recovery time. Most often, surgery is unnecessary in this case. During my training in graduate school I specialized in endoscopy and have since performed over 2,000 endoscopic procedures on a variety of animals, including cats, dogs, ferrets, penguins, and even a spectacle (pet) alligator!
In summary, animal endoscopy is a relatively quick, non-invasive way to remove objects (Foreign Bodies) from an animal's stomach that is much healthier and much less expensive than surgery.
If you suspect your pet has swallowed something dangerous, please do not hesitate to contact our clinic. We can help!
Learn more about our animal endoscopy services at Songpawon Animal Hospital.
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