Commitment to Care: Blaze
Meet Blaze, a five year old Pitbull who came into the clinic with presenting concerns not eating, vomiting, straining to go to the bathroom and just not acting himself. After the exam, a series of tests and x-rays, Dr. Elmer concluded that Blaze had ingested something that may be causing a blockage and needed surgery to remove the object.
In preparation for surgery, Blaze had a series of blood tests done to ensure he was fit to undergo anesthesia. After all of the lab tests came back normal, he was cleared for surgery. During his surgery, it was discovered that he had ingested a small stuffed animal’s hand. Following the surgery, it took Blaze a few days to return to normal but at his follow up appointment his incision had healed nicely and was back to his normal self.
Signs Your Pet Has Ingested Something They Should Have?
If your pet is presenting any of the following signs, it may mean that they have ingested something foreign or toxic and they need to be seen by their veterinarian right away:
- Vomiting or gagging
- Painful abdomen
- Lack of appetite
- Lethargy or weakness
- Changes in typical behavior
- Changes in bowels — diarrhea, constipation
Tips to Prevent Your Pet From Eating Foreign Objects
The easiest thing to do when you have a pet that is drawn to eating things that are not good for them is to reduce their access to those types of items.
Reducing access could mean putting baby locks on your cabinets, if your pet likes to go through your cupboards. Or if your pet is one to shred stuffed toys find other alternatives to avoid them ingesting the stuffing. If your pet is prone to digging in your trash for a piece of last night’s dinner, consider purchasing a trash can with a lid or if you can install a trash can drawer in your kitchen. Installing baby gates are a great way to keep your pet away from certain areas where hazards are that cannot be blocked off with a door.
It could also help if you change the way you do certain tasks around the house. If your pet is prone to chewing on laundry, or try folding your clothes in a bedroom to avoid a runaway sock.
Lastly, if you feel your pet could use some training to help with this behavior seek positive based training as some dogs are prone to destroying things out of anxiety.