Case Study

Gastric foreign body in a 2 year old MN Dachshund dog with a history of pancreatitis

A 2-year-old MN Dachshund with a history of recurrent pancreatitis and gastric foreign that had been removed via gastrotomy was presented for evaluation of vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea. On physical examination, the patient was depressed and showed nausea. The only abnormality on serum biochemistry was elevated lipase (2594).

DX

Upper gastrointestinal obstructive pattern

Sonographic Differential Diagnosis

Upper gastrointestinal obstructive pattern. Recommend immediate exploratory surgery. Concurrent gastrointestinal biopsies would be warranted to rule out underlying disease given the chronic issues with PICA.

Image Interpretation

The cranial abdomen revealed a dilated stomach filled with fluid and thickened gastric wall. The adjacent small intestine appeared dilated with a 2.5-3.0 cm hard shadowing structure that is consistent with a ball or something similar. Reactive mesentery was noted. The distal small intestine was dilated and followed by empty small intestine. The descending colon was full of hard stool. No obstructive or overt infiltrative disease was noted. No abnormal lymphatic activity was noted and the abdomen was free of masses and pathological fluid.