It is our pleasure to introduce “Teprac” the German Sheperd Dog. Although “Teprac” is not his actual name it is a very fitting name for this curious dog. He is a beautiful male 3 year-old darkly colored GSD. Even though he is somewhat intimidating on first impression “Teprac” is the friendliest animal you could meet.

“Teprac” presented to us for symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea that started a couple days after the Thanksgiving Holiday. Although he appeared bright and alert on presentation he shortly vomited greenish-yellow fluid on the exam room floor. His owner also complained that even though a stranger might not notice “Teprac” was very lethargic and just not his usual playful self. It was very clear to us that “Teprac” wasn’t feeling well and needed help.

Of course, everyone’s initial thoughts were that he probably over-ate during the Thanksgiving feast (as we all do), and even though he most certainly did over-eat it wasn’t turkey that “Teprac” had a taste for consuming.

“Teprac’s” vital signs were normal and other than vomiting no significant abnormalities could be detected on physical exam. We then performed venipuncture and obtained a blood sample for laboratory testing. Again, the only abnormality on the complete blood analysis was mild dehydration. X-ray was the next logical diagnostic step. Abdominal radiographs revealed a quite different picture.

The actual x-rays are displayed. The x-ray photo to the right is of a normal dog’s abdomen. Note the normal gas shadow produced by the stomach. The normal empty stomach is elongated with a somewhat round and dark gas pattern in the center.

The photo below is an x-ray of “Teprac’s” abdomen. (The head of the animal is to the viewer’s left and rear to the right.) If you look closely at “Teprac’s” stomach you can see that the normal gas shadow of the stomach is not present. Instead the stomach is filled with some sort of debris. Although, on x-ray examination we could not definitively say what was in the stomach we knew it wasn’t good and it certainly wasn’t turkey bones.

It was clear then that an abdominal exploration was indicated to determine the content of the stomach. Wanting to do the best thing for “Teprac” his owner immediately opted for surgery and knew this was the best thing for his loyal companion.

“Teprac” was prepped for surgery and taken in to the operating room. Once the initial abdominal incision had been made and the abdominal cavity had been entered the stomach was palpated to determine if there was in fact something lodged within. A small mass could be felt inside the stomach but we still were not 100% sure if this was in fact the source of the problem. A small incision into the stomach was made and immediately the problem was visible. It appeared at first to be some sort of rope or large twine, but then several small flat pieces of rubber began to follow attached to the mass of fabric. The mass was so large that the gastric incision had to be widened in order to remove it all in one piece. The photos below were taken during surgery and show what was found within this poor dog’s stomach.

Once the green blob of something other than turkey finally stopped coming out of the stomach we inspected the interior of the stomach to make sure it was completely empty. We then examined the remainder of the gastrointestinal tract to determine if more of this debris remained at another distant location. No more could be identified so at this point the abdominal cavity was lavaged/flushed with sterile solution to make sure no contamination was left behind and “Teprac” was closed up and placed in a warm bed to recover.

“Teprac” recovered from the surgery wonderfully! The day following surgery he still wasn’t interested food (understandably) but he did have a powerful thirst and was offered small amounts of water. His owner dropped by to visit and take him on a short morning walk – during which time “Teprac” passed the final 6 inches of rope the way nature intended.

So – what was the amorphous glob of cloth (that weighed 4 ounces and measured 8 inches in diameter) that “Teprac” had consumed? It turns out that about 10 days prior to the onset of vomiting “Teprac’s” grandmother had thrown out a green carpeted door mat that had been torn up by one of their dogs. This mat was identical to the material removed from “Teprac’s” stomach including the rubber backing. By the way “Teprac” is carpet spelled backward in case you didn’t realize that already. “Teprac” is home now and making a full recovery. However, his home is now completely hardwood flooring without an array of designer throw rugs.

We thank him for allowing us to display his case and we wish him a long life without Thanksgiving rugs!

Gastrointestinal foreign bodies can affect both cats and dogs. The most typical symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, not eating/drinking, painful abdomen, and lethargy. Occasionally an owner will actually see the event occur, but usually vomiting is the first symptom. Although, the case presented above had a very happy ending this is not always the case. If the problem is not treated in a timely manner the intestines can become diseased beyond repair.

If the ingested object is of sufficient size or oriented in a way that occludes the blood flow to that area of the intestinal tract that portion of bowel can die. These compromised sections of intestine need to be surgically removed. Also, sharp objects can penetrate the wall of the intestines and may lead to serious infections within the abdominal cavity. It is also true that many smaller items may pass normally with time.

If you see your pet swallow an object or suspect that a foreign body has been ingested call your veterinarian. Even if you think the object is small enough to pass naturally fluids and pain medications may be necessary to aid the transit through the GI tract. Furthermore, not all objects can be seen on x-rays and further diagnostics or treatment may be necessary to determine if surgical intervention is warranted.