Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Small intestinal enterolith in a dog presenting for a suspected gastric foreign body.
- Journal:
- Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association
- Year:
- 2021
- Authors:
- Malberg, Jessica A & Hespel, Adrien-Maxence
- Affiliation:
- Department of Surgical Sciences
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 12-year-old Labrador Retriever came to the vet because it suddenly stopped eating and was vomiting. The vet did an ultrasound and X-rays of the dog's belly, which showed a large mineral-like object that looked like it was a foreign body in the stomach. However, during surgery, the vet found that this object was actually a large enterolith, which is a type of stone that formed in the small intestines. This case highlights that when a dog shows signs of gastrointestinal issues, enteroliths should be considered as a possible cause for any large mineralized objects seen in the abdomen. The treatment involved surgery to remove the enterolith, which was successful.
Abstract
A 12-year-old Labrador Retriever presented for an acute onset of anorexia and vomiting. Abdominal ultrasound and abdominal radiographs were performed, and on the latter a large mineral opaque structure with concentric rings within the cranial abdomen was diagnosed as a gastric foreign body. Laparotomy revealed that the suspected gastric foreign body was a large enterolith within the small intestines. Enteroliths should be considered as one of the differential diagnoses for a large mineralized abdominal structure in a dog presented for gastrointestinal clinical signs.
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