When 5-year-old Goldendoodle Knox arrived at Guardian Veterinary Specialists, he was a very uncomfortable pup. His pet parents told us he had suddenly started vomiting, and our emergency veterinary team quickly discovered the reason: Knox had a foreign body in his intestine that was also partially anchored in his stomach. That meant his food and anything else in his stomach could not pass through his intestines and out the normal way that food is digested.
Our team did some additional diagnostics, including an abdominal ultrasound, to ensure we knew the location of where the foreign body was and to determine if there was any other damage to the stomach or intestines.
Our board-certified veterinary surgeon, Jeffrey Runge, DVM, DACVS, performed a gastrotomy, which involves making a small incision in the stomach through which the foreign body was removed. The portion that was entering the intestine was able to be brought back very slowly into the stomach, which meant there was no need to make cuts into the intestine itself. During surgery, Dr. Runge also checked Knox’s intestine to ensure nothing else was lodged inside his digestive system that could potentially cause him further harm later.
Our surgical team reported that the foreign body consisted of part of a plastic spoon and what appeared to be a mop head, tangled together into a mass too large to pass through Knox’s system.
After surgery, Knox was taken to the ICU for recovery and rest. He was sent home wearing an e-collar to keep him from licking his incision and instructions to continue resting.
Every other day, Knox’s owners emailed photos of the incision to Dr. Runge and his team. The surgical coordinator would then call or text the owners to let them know how it’s healing. A little over two weeks post op, Knox’s incision looked great and his e-collar was removed. Over the next week, he was able to resume his normal activity.
Knox’s mom Sue recently sent a follow-up to let us know how he is: “Thank you all for getting my boy up and running! He’s living his carefree life, running with speed and power and happiness! Thank you all for saving his life!”
If you have questions about our surgery specialty services or think your pet may be having a medical emergency, give us a call at 914-704-3400. We are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Our fully equipped animal hospital is staffed around the clock by highly trained and experienced emergency veterinarians and veterinary technicians.
No appointment is ever necessary for emergency care—just come into our hospital at 4 Hardscrabble Heights in Brewster, New York, at any time, day or night.
