Endoscopy Allows Pets to Avoid Abdominal Surgery

March 8, 2020 Dr. Tucker is a hero to a couple of puppies and their owners. Both dogs (we’ll call them Spot and Rover) have a history of eating things like rocks and socks and came to the clinic with digestive problems. Dr. Tucker suspected a foreign body. (With an x-ray, she actually saw a rock in Spot’s stomach.) The dogs were anesthetized and Dr. Tucker, after passing the endoscope down into the stomach, actually found the rock in Spot’s stomach and a piece of towel in Rover’s stomach. Rover was particularly fortunate because the towel couldn’t be seen with an x-ray. Dr. Tucker was able to nab the offending foreign bodies using a snare on the endoscope and remove them without the dogs having to undergo abdominal surgery. As soon as each dog woke up from anesthesia they were good as new! No incision, no exploratory surgery, no sutures. Everyone was pleased that they were able to avoid traditional surgery with its risk of complications and weeks of recovery. If Rover and Spot could talk, we’re pretty sure they would tell us they are pleased, too.