In the world of veterinary medicine, we often encounter situations that test our limits and call for swift, decisive action. Today, we want to share a story with you about a recent case that required FVRC to do just that.

They say pets eat the darndest things, and this was certainly true for our furry four-legged friend, Keegan.

Early this summer, Keegan, an 11-year-old Golden Retriever, was presented to our ER after ingesting a plastic spatula. His pet parents did the right thing and immediately sought medical care. Thankfully Keegan was still able to breathe and by all accounts was acting normal. After radiographs were performed, FVRC’s Criticalist and Medical Director, Dr. Josh Parra, was confident that he could remove the spatula without invasive surgery.

Dr. Parra placed Keegan under anesthesia and performed an esophageal foreign body endoscopy, where the 6-inch spatula was found to be present at the level of the distal esophagus, past the distal esophageal sphincter, and into the stomach. A wire snare was used to remove the spatula successfully, with only a minor abrasion present on the distal esophageal mucosal lining. Keegan was sent home with sucralfate and experienced no procedural complications.

This is what Keegan’s pet parent shared about his experience with Dr. Parra and the FVRC team:

“We are grateful for the service and care provided for Keegan and are in your debt for finding a solution that did not involve major surgery. It was my first real instance of something to this magnitude with any pet so I wasn't sure what to expect. The team at FVRC was informative, genuine, and thorough. I felt comfortable, and I'm sure Keegan did too!”

Has your pet or patient ingested something they weren’t supposed to? Our emergency and critical care team has you covered 24/7/365!