Five month old Labrador puppy Marshal initially came in to see us having been vomiting, and his appetite wasn’t quite as healthy as normal. Marshal didn’t have a reputation as a particularly destructive puppy, and as Hamish couldn’t feel anything in Marshal’s abdomen, like a bit of toy or a foreign body, Marshal was given some medication and asked to come back if no better or if his appetite declined any further. Marshal was brought in again just two days later: he had become quite lethargic, had lost interest in food and was still vomiting. And his owner had spotted what looked like string in his vomit which suggested he may have eaten something untoward after all. His owner even wondered whether he could have ingested part of a baby’s nappy a few days beforehand.
On x ray, Marshal’s stomach looked very full of content and his small intestines were very enlarged. It was also possible to detect something hard on palpation, so we thought it was best to admit Marshal for surgery to take a better look.
Imagine our surprise when, on exploration, we found what had been causing all the trouble with Marshal’s stomach – not a nappy, but a lady’s pink heart-patterned sock! Which didn’t clean up too badly!
Although Marshal wasn’t initially too keen on eating again at home post surgery, a change in diet increased his appetite and enthusiasm for food. Now he’s back to his normal self and being a happy, bouncy puppy – but no more snacking on socks please!
