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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Dogs vomiting after swallowing magnets and metal objects

By Kiefer, Kristina et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2010·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed

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Original publication title: Magnet ingestion in dogs: two cases.

Species:
dog
Dog vomitingStomach & digestionDogs

Plain-English summary

A 5-year-old mixed-breed dog and a 3-year-old Labrador were brought in for vomiting after swallowing magnets and other metal objects. X-rays showed dense foreign bodies in their bellies, and surgery revealed one dog had a hole in its intestine while the other had tissue trapped between the magnets. Both dogs underwent surgery to remove the foreign bodies and recovered well afterward. This highlights the risks of dogs swallowing magnets, as they can attract each other and cause serious internal injuries.

People also search for: dog vomiting after swallowing magnets · dog surgery for foreign body · signs of intestinal perforation in dogs

Abstract

Two dogs that had ingested foreign bodies were presented with vomiting. The foreign bodies appeared as metal and dense on abdominal radiographs. Abdominal exploratory identified intestinal perforation in one case and gastrointestinal tissue trapped between the two foreign bodies adhered to each other in the second case. The foreign bodies were identified as magnets in one case and magnets and other metallic foreign bodies in the second case. Both dogs had excellent outcomes following surgical intervention. These cases demonstrate the danger of tissue entrapment between the foreign bodies as a result of the magnetic attraction between two objects. Dogs that are presented with a history of or are suspect for ingesting multiple magnets or a magnet and metal foreign bodies should be treated with surgical intervention because of the risk of gastrointestinal perforation as a result of magnetic attraction between the foreign bodies.

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Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20439941/