“Flirting” with disaster…
“Flirt”, a 2-year-old Siamese mix, came into the hospital on Monday, August 31st. Bonnie, her owner stated that she had not been eating and had no desire to drink any water. Two days earlier she had vomited a soft glitter ball. Radiographs revealed an empty stomach and some bunching intestines. Our technicians administered an oral solution called barium which outlines the intestinal tract and allows us to see contrast on an x-ray. The radiographs taken after the barium administration revealed that nothing was passing through her intestines and so surgery was scheduled for the following morning. During an exploratory surgery of her abdomen a glitter ball was discovered in the mid intestinal tract. The ball was removed and Flirt stayed in the hospital for a few days to make sure she continued to eat and drink well. She went home on Friday, September 4th.
Bonnie woke up early the following Tuesday morning and to her horror she found that Flirt had removed her e-collar (which had been sent home to deter her from licking her incision) and she licked at her abdominal incision until it opened. The emergency clinic sutured her incision and she was then brought to our hospital to be admitted for treatment. Flirt stayed with us for the next 9 days. On September 18th, we removed her staples and she went home.
One week later, Flirt’s owner called us concerned that Flirt may have eaten another toy. She started vomiting 2 days prior and was not eating or drinking. More barium was administered and radiographs were taken. The barium was very slow to empty from her stomach. Could this really be another foreign body? After a couple hours, Flirt vomited most of the barium. Over the next few days, we continued to medicate her to help stop the vomiting. Dr. BeVirt decided to run another barium series. No evidence of any foreign body was found. We continued to force feed, medicate and give subcutaneous fluids to keep her well hydrated. Finally Flirt produced a bowel movement with… (surprise) a pom pom ball.
Friday, September 30th, one month after her ordeal originally began, Flirt was sent home; no sutures, no medications, no special diet; only strict instructions of “no playing with toys with less than a 2" diameter”. We are thrilled to report that Flirt is doing very well at home and is sticking to eating only her food!
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