Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

11 years old

Male

Exploratory laparotomy and foreign body removal

Problem:

Bobbi was seen during emergency hours as had he eaten a Christmas decoration (in July!) and had become quite unwell. He had been vomiting, passing dark diarrhoea was lethargic and off his food.

Treatment:

He was admitted and given a light sedation to take some x-rays. There were 7 or 8 small wires visible in the middle of his abdomen and he was taken to theatre to have them removed. Our emergency veterinary surgeon Amber performed an exploratory laparotomy to find exactly where the wires were. The wires were found to have pierced his intestines and Bobbi had to have this injured section removed. The first 5 days following this surgery are a worry as patients can deteriorate and become very unwell with septic peritonitis.

Outcome:

Bobbi remained in our 24-hour hospital for a few days following surgery so we could provide pain relief, intravenous fluid therapy and support his recovery. Initially he was a little down in the dumps and reluctant to eat. However, over time he started to feel happier, began enjoying small meals and was wagging his tail! He was well enough to go home to rest and continue his recovery and was seen for a post-operative check a week later. He was a happy boy, doing very well and continuing to make positive progress. Bobbi has a wonderful character and was incredibly brave, thank you to his owner for letting us share his story.