Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Ileocolic Perforation Secondary to Disk Battery Ingestion in a Dog.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association
- Year:
- 2018
- Authors:
- Meltzer, Lauren
- Affiliation:
- From Veterinary Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Group
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old spayed female shih tzu was taken to the vet because she hadn't eaten for four days. She had already received treatment for stomach inflammation from another vet two days earlier. X-rays showed two round, metallic objects in her intestines, which turned out to be disk batteries causing serious damage. The vet performed surgery to remove the batteries and repair the intestines, but unfortunately, the dog died shortly after waking up from anesthesia due to heart and breathing failure. This case highlights how dangerous disk batteries can be if ingested, as they can cause severe harm to the intestines.
Abstract
A 7 yr old spayed female shih tzu was evaluated for anorexia of 4 days duration. Conservative treatment for gastroenteritis had been administered by another veterinarian 2 days before presentation. Abdominal radiography revealed two round, disk-shaped, metallic-opacity foreign objects within the bowel with loss of serosal detail. Exploratory laparotomy was performed and revealed circumferential full-thickness necrosis and perforation of the intestines at the ileocolic junction with a small amount of peritoneal effusion. Two disk batteries were palpated in the colon and milked out of the rectum. An ileocolic anastomosis was performed without complication. However, the dog died following cardiopulmonary arrest shortly after extubation. Disk batteries are capable of causing severe tissue necrosis due to the generation of electric current when prolonged contact with mucosal surfaces occurs. Immediate removal is recommended to prevent gastrointestinal perforation and potential fatalities.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30039996/