Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Injury related to environmental enrichment in a dog (Canis familiaris): gastric foreign body.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science : JAALAS
- Year:
- 2009
- Authors:
- Veeder, Christin L & Taylor, Douglas K
- Affiliation:
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine · United States
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old pregnant Beagle mix was brought in because she was very tired, dehydrated, and sometimes vomiting. The veterinarians provided her with fluids, antibiotics, and supportive care to try to keep her pregnancy going. Unfortunately, she lost her puppies about 50 days into the pregnancy and was put to sleep because of her poor health and age. A post-mortem examination showed that she had a mass of plastic pieces stuck in her stomach, which turned out to be from a vinyl-covered dog bed that was meant to make her environment more interesting. This case highlights that even seemingly safe items for enrichment can pose risks, so it's important to evaluate them carefully before use.
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: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19245755/