Emergency of the Week – Henry

This good boy is Henry. Henry was transferred to us from his regular veterinarian after ingesting rocks. Henry had already vomited 5-7 rocks by the time he arrived at Mountainside, but there were still 2 more rocks seen in his abdomen on survey x-rays. Luckily for Henry, he was able to pass one rock through his intestines without concern, but this left a remaining rock in his stomach. We avoided surgical intervention by removing the remaining rock via an endoscope. An endoscope is a flexible tube with a camera that allows us to inspect the inside of the GI tract in order to remove foreign material or take samples. While general anesthesia is still needed for this procedure, the recovery time is minimal compared to exploratory surgery. After his quick recovery from this procedure, Henry was able to go home with some gastroprotectant medications. We’re happy to report that he has been doing well at home, but we are not sure if he has learned his lesson. Foreign body ingestions are one of the most common emergencies we see, sometimes they pass on their own or we can induce vomiting to bring up the foreign body, however, foreign body ingestions can become life-threatening if they cause an obstruction. Clinical signs include vomiting (inability to keep food down), a decrease in appetite, abdominal pain/tenderness, and lethargy.