Meet Max, our Pismo Beach Veterinary Clinic Pet of the Week.
Max came in early in the morning because his mom realized right away that something was wrong. He hadn’t eaten his dinner the night before (quite unusual for Max). And she awoke to find that Max was hunched over and acting really painful. Together with his examination and xrays of his belly, it was clear that Max needed surgery right away for an obstruction. In surgery, we found that Max had eaten carpet, with strands of carpet fiber completely filling his intestines and stuck from his stomach, throughout his entire bowel, to his colon. After 6 incisions into his intestines to remove the carpet, Max is on his way to recovery. This type of an obstruction is called a linear foreign body, probably one of the most serious types of blockages a dog or cat can get (common culprits are also string, yarn, rope and tinsel). If you suspect your pet swallowed a linear foreign body, we recommend getting them to the vet as soon as possible (before a lot of damage can occur).
CAUTION – Images May Be Graphic!! Below are pictures of the surgery:
