It’s official … it’s foreign body season … I mean, BBQ season! While we all hope to get back to having outdoor social gatherings soon, MY thoughts this week went to all the hazards we will be exposing our pets to with this change.
Summer (also known as foreign body and toxin ingestion season in vet med) presents a cornucopia of potential threats. While we work on our gardens, relax by the lake, watch fireworks, and entertain friends at a BBQ, the opportunity for our pets to be exposed to or ingest something noxious looms.
Don’t get me wrong — I love foreign body cases, truly. I think you’d be pressed to find a vet who doesn’t. They can be incredibly rewarding cases to treat … if they present classically:
– Pet comes in for vomiting
– Pet is suspected to have eaten something out of the ordinary
– Pet is taken to xray where ingestion of said object is in fact confirmed
– Pet is taken to surgery to remove the foreign object
– And voila: fixed!
(Of course, this is an oversimplified summary — that assumes no serious complications such as severe intestinal damage or sepsis.)
But really, most vets get excited about FB cases. There is even a popular X-ray competition every year in the Veterinary Practice News called “They Ate What?”
Despite the veterinary community’s enthusiasm for foreign body surgeries, I promise that you don’t want your pet to have to experience one. Not only are we talking about a major abdominal surgery, that has the potential for serious complications as mentioned above, but often these cases occur after hours, involving emergency hospitals and extended ICU stays. The financial and emotional strain associated with this is undeniable.
SO … in the interest of saving you from finding yourself in an exam room, watching a vet try desperately to hide their excitement while they point to the foreign body they found on your dog’s X-ray (they are definitely hiding their excitement) … consider some of the big culprits:
Corn cobs, meat with bones and fruit with pits (avocados, peaches and the like) are some of the most commonly ingested foreign bodies.
While we are at it, here are some other hazards and toxins to consider at your backyard get-together.
– Toothpicks and skewers
– Grapes and raisins
– Compost piles
– Onions and garlic
– Fertilizers and herbicides
– The heat!
– Pools
Summer Toxins To Pets | Pet Poison Helpline
2019 They Ate What?! X-ray Contest winners| veterinarypracticenews.com
Surprise Summer Toxins You’re Not Ready For | DrAndyRoark.com