Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Pregnant dog with stomach blockage from plastic dog bed cover
By Veeder, Christin L & Taylor, Douglas K·Published in Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science : JAALAS·2009·Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Injury related to environmental enrichment in a dog (Canis familiaris): gastric foreign body.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old pregnant Beagle cross was brought in because she was lethargic, dehydrated, and occasionally vomiting. Despite receiving fluids, antibiotics, and supportive care to try to save her pregnancy, she sadly aborted her puppies and was euthanized due to her poor health. A necropsy revealed that she had swallowed a large mass of plastic pieces from a dog bed, which was part of her environment enrichment. This case highlights the importance of carefully assessing any enrichment items for potential hazards before using them with pets.
People also search for: dog vomiting plastic · pregnant dog lethargy · Beagle foreign body treatment · dog bed safety · environmental enrichment risks for dogs
Abstract
A pregnant 7-y-old Beagle crossbred dog (Canis familiaris) presented with clinical signs of lethargy, dehydration, and occasional vomiting. The dog was managed with fluids, antibiotics, and supportive care for several days in an effort to maintain the pregnancy. The bitch aborted the pups at approximately 50 d of gestation and was euthanized due to her poor reproductive performance and age. Necropsy revealed a compact mass of plastic pieces in the pylorus of the stomach. The gastric foreign body was discovered to be the vinyl covering of a bed that was in the dog's run as part of the environmental enrichment program for this animal. The use of that type of dog bed was discontinued. This case emphasizes that any type of enrichment can cause harm and the risks must be assessed carefully before implementing any enrichment device.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19245755/