10/10/2025
Pet Safety Spotlight: What Happens When Dogs Swallow the Wrong Thing?
Meet Shyloâa lovable, goofy Labrador who recently came to see us after he started vomiting on and off and wasnât keeping food down. His family was understandably worried. He was losing weight and just didnât seem like his usual self.
After a visit to his regular vet, Shylo was referred to our Internal Medicine team at SOVSC for a closer look. We ran some imaging tests, including x-rays and an ultrasound, and spotted something odd in his stomach. But what was it? A swallowed object? A stomach issue? A mass? The shape was so strange, it had everyone scratching their heads.
To find out what was going on, we took Shylo into surgeryâand guess what we discovered? A Kong ball lodged in his stomach! It had been sitting there like a plug, messing with his digestion and making him feel sick. The mystery? No one has any idea where the ball came from or how long it had been there!
Swallowing foreign objects is something we see pretty often in dogs. Sometimes itâs a sock, a toy, a rockâyou name it. And while some of these cases can be managed with an endoscope (a tiny camera that helps us retrieve the item), othersâlike Shyloâsâneed surgery to fix the problem.
While keeping an eye on your dog is always important, even the most well-behaved pups can surprise us. Thatâs why itâs smart to keep potentially dangerous objects out of reach and to stay alert for signs like vomiting, appetite changes, or unusual behavior.
If you ever suspect your furry family member has swallowed something they shouldnât have, donât wait. Quick action can make all the difference, and in some cases, a simple procedure can avoid major surgery.
Hereâs to keeping curious pups safeâand out of trouble!
