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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

My dog is having surgery to remove a ball

49 replies

roastednuts123 · 26/05/2023 19:29

The gorgeous but stupid animal is 8 years old Ffs. I'm scared out of my mind. She's never had to go through anything like this before and I'm now sat in the car outside the vet hospital waiting for her to be allowed in.
I desperately need to hear from anyone who has been through this and can reassure me or cheer me up. We couldn't have kids so this dog is our world.

OP posts:
GoodChat · 26/05/2023 19:36

If she's a healthy dog (aside from being a dingus!) she should be fine, so long as the ball hasn't got anywhere nasty. I'm assuming they xrayed her before surgery?

Briandouglas · 26/05/2023 19:47

I thought you meant like being neutered 😂

At least you know what it is and hopefully a relatively uncomplicated situation, mine had unexplained internal bleeding a few years ago and that was a bit of a nightmare but all well in the end! Hopefully yours will be okay- minus the tennis ball- in a little while

Lastqueenofscotland2 · 26/05/2023 20:21

My friends dog bit and swallowed the top of a kong! Not the cheapest procedure but simple enough - won’t be the first or last dog. She made a swift and full recovery

thewonderfulthingabouttigger · 26/05/2023 20:22

I knew a five month old puppy who ate a peach stone and had to be operated on. She was fine. And then ate a set of engagement and wedding rings a year or two later as well.

I've known a dog eat a sock before as well, also had to be operated on and he was fine.

Hope it goes well! Let us know. Here to chat whilst you have the stressful wait too. It's horrible when they need such serious help.

Original poster
roastednuts123 · 26/05/2023 20:32

Thank you so much for the responses. I'll be back soon with an update but just wanted to say thanks I really appreciate your words of wisdom!

OP posts:
BarelyLiterate · 26/05/2023 20:41

She’ll be fine. Dogs swallow all manner of random stuff all the time. Vets refer to them as ‘foreign bodies’. Usually, vets can easily get them to throw it up by giving them an injection which quickly induces vomiting.

If that doesn’t work, or the object has travelled out of the stomach into the gut, the vet has to surgically remove it. This is absolutely routine surgery which most vets perform regularly. Almost all cases result in the dog suffering no ill effects, except a decent scar, so try not to worry. She wouldn’t happen to be a Labrador, by any chance? They are absolutely notorious for swallowing things they shouldn’t.

Source: One of my closest friends is a vastly experienced small animal vet.

BigFatLiar · 26/05/2023 20:44

Hopefully she'll be back feeling sorry for herself and wondering where you've hidden the ball.

cryinglaughing · 26/05/2023 20:50

Fingers crossed all goes well for her and the outcome is good.

BinturongsSmellOfPopcorn · 26/05/2023 20:57

I used to work at a vets. I lost count of the number of balls and similar we removed, and all were straightforward. The ones that caused difficulties were things like ropes and string, which can cause the intestines to wrinkle up and cause extra damage, or bits of stick that can jab through. Balls just sit there - and are very easy to find on the pre-op x-ray - so it's a very simple job.

She'll feel a bit sorry for herself for a while, after the anaesthetic and with the stitches and cone of shame, but should be back to her usual self very quickly.

ChardonnaysBeastlyCat · 26/05/2023 21:03

Hope it goes well, OP.

They are such idiots sometimes.

Original poster
roastednuts123 · 26/05/2023 21:08

Oh god you're all amazing. I'm crying again reading these but it's nice crying (no I don't know what I'm on about either!). Thank you. She had an X-ray at her normal vets and then transferred to a vet hospital. She's having a gastronomy so quite major I think. She's 8 and yes she's a lab how did you guess!!!!!!!!!!

OP posts:
Speermint · 26/05/2023 21:13

My dog had a bouncy ball removed from her stomach around 2006 and was fine, she died of cancer in the end.

HotAndStuffy · 26/05/2023 21:15

One of ours had to have a tummy op too - Hmm we were given stomach contents to take home! I hope she's fine, in sure she will be.

HotAndStuffy · 26/05/2023 21:17

BTW do you mean gastroscopy? That'll just be a camera down her throat to see how far the ball has got I expect.

Louise295 · 26/05/2023 21:20

I was dog sitting my mums 3 year old yorkie in March and she got up on the dining table in the 2 mins I was out of the room and stole a corn on the cob off my daughters plate. She took it in the crate and ate the lot before I noticed.
Little did I know it can kill them(the core/husk) as it can't be digested and causes blockages. It cost over £3k (she's insured. Phew) and she had to have the foreign body removal surgery. Took her two weeks to recover fully but now you would never know ❤️❤️❤️❤️ good luck with your pup Xx

Itisyourturntowashthebath · 26/05/2023 21:21

What sort of ball?
I'm impressed she got it down her throat successfully, labs are very determined when it comes to consuming inedibles.

whirlyhead · 26/05/2023 21:24

I have a cat who has had had 7 surgeries to remove hairballs blocking her intestinal tract. Your dog will be fine. One surgery is simple. Multiple surgeries are where problems lie.

Original poster
roastednuts123 · 26/05/2023 21:25

Ah sorry i mean gastrotomy (I've googled and that's what she said). From the X-ray it looks to be just bigger than a golf ball.

OP posts:
carparkcow · 26/05/2023 21:27

My cocker spaniel did this a few years ago. Scared us silly but was absolutely fine. Didn't learn her lesson though and still eats anything she can 🤦‍♀️

Pianono · 26/05/2023 21:32

It is fairly common dogs swallowing things they shouldn't. My neighbour's labrador has had two procedures to remove items - first a ball, second a sock!Expensive but straightforward. Wishing your dog all the best.

Im99912 · 26/05/2023 21:33

My dog swallowed big bird 😂
well a cats toy stuffed big bird

Darling dog was fine
my purse was around 1k down
big bird was fucked.
😂😂😂

this was several years ago
so I dread to think what the bill is now

BinturongsSmellOfPopcorn · 26/05/2023 21:45

Surgical terms are essentially jigsaws. The first part of the word tells you where or how, and the second part tells you what: '-scopy' having a look (so 'gastroscopy' having a looking in the stomach); '-ectomy' - removing (so 'hysterectomy' removing the womb) etc.

'-otomy' means 'cutting a hole in', so gastrotomy
just means they are making an incision into the stomach (after which they will perform a 'ballectomy' by taking the ball out).

Original poster
roastednuts123 · 26/05/2023 21:52

BinturongsSmellOfPopcorn · 26/05/2023 21:45

Surgical terms are essentially jigsaws. The first part of the word tells you where or how, and the second part tells you what: '-scopy' having a look (so 'gastroscopy' having a looking in the stomach); '-ectomy' - removing (so 'hysterectomy' removing the womb) etc.

'-otomy' means 'cutting a hole in', so gastrotomy
just means they are making an incision into the stomach (after which they will perform a 'ballectomy' by taking the ball out).

Thanks so much this is so interesting. Is it something they performed in the vets when you worked there? Our own vets sent us to this vet hospital but I think that could be coz it's out of hours? Anyway just waiting for the call now when it's done but realise there's a lot of recovery to do afterwards.

OP posts:
Original poster
roastednuts123 · 26/05/2023 21:53

Im99912 · 26/05/2023 21:33

My dog swallowed big bird 😂
well a cats toy stuffed big bird

Darling dog was fine
my purse was around 1k down
big bird was fucked.
😂😂😂

this was several years ago
so I dread to think what the bill is now

About 4K I think Confused

OP posts:
Im99912 · 26/05/2023 22:07

@roastednuts123. 4K ouch

darling dog or maybe not so darling dog 😂
he will be fine dogs swallow all sorts and vets have seen and dealt with it all