Kolkata: A three-and-half-a-year-old female Beagle, Khushi, who swallowed an earbud and suffered immense abdominal pain for about a week, underwent a 20-minute surgery to remove the foreign object lodged in its stomach. Veterinary doctors stated that the canineis stable and under routine post-surgical observation. The lodging of a foreign object that causes intestinal blockage can also become life-threatening, if there’s no medical intervention.Pet parent Suparna Sinha, a resident of Behala, recounted that the dog had swallowed an earbud on July 10 at home. “From the evening the earbud went missing. Initially, we thought that the earbud being small, it might have been misplaced. Following a search we did not find it and then we became certain that Khushi had swallowed it,” said Roy, a homemaker. For a few days, we waited for the earbud to come out with its stool. But that did not happen and the dog also showed signs of distress, which prompted the family to take it to a local vet. Roy’s son, Pathikrit, a college student said, “We became worried as Khushi appeared to be in distress and pain. On July 14, we had consulted a doctor and two days later, a clinical evaluation followed by a radiographic examination confirmed that the earbud was stuck in its stomach. Considering the potential risks associated with gastrointestinal obstruction and tissue injury, the veterinary team decided to perform an emergency gastroscopic endoscopy to remove the earbud. On Friday, our pet underwent the non-invasive surgery at Animal Health Pathology Lab in south Kolkata.”Soumi Mondal, a veterinary surgeon who operated on the dog pointed that quick diagnosis and timely intervention are crucial in such cases to prevent intestinal complications, which often pose life risk to pets like dogs and cats.“Parenting a Beagle calls for close watch, otherwise such accidental ingestion incidents can occur. When a foreign object gets stuck inside a dog’s stomach, it shows signs of distress due to acute abdominal pain and repeated vomiting. We suggest that removal measure should be taken within four hours as intestinal blockage may take a serious turn any moment,” said an assistant veterinary professor.
