Rocky & Benji- Canine Pets of the Month, August 2020

Rocky

Benji 

Pets eating things other than food is unfortunately common. Pieces of dog toys, pieces of trash or other household products can become foreign bodies which can lead to obstructions in the bowel or cause other gastrointestinal issues that can have severe consequences. This month, we have two examples of pets eating things they should not and the outcome of each.

Rocky is a 3-month-old male Yorkie mix that, as you can see from the radiograph, swallowed his owner’s diamond earring. Although this makes for a very interesting radiography, this is potentially a very serious and dangerous situation for Rocky, not to mention for the owner’s jewelry.

Benji is a 9-month-old male Chihuahua that, again from the radiograph below, has ingested a metallic foreign body that is not located in the stomach.

These two cases present examples of what happens when our pets get access to and ingest non-food materials. Many commonly found objects can become gastric foreign bodies. These items include, but are not limited to, rocks, garbage, plastic, metal, bones, etc. Any foreign body can have sever consequences requiring major surgery and can sometimes lead to death/ These two cases had very different outcomes: Rocky, after eating a big bowl of dog food, was able to pass the earring, which was retrieved an returned to the owner. Benji, on the other hand, unfortunately had to have surgery to remove the wire from his stomach. Thankfully, both pets are doing well and have recovered from their ordeals. These cases serve as an example of the range of outcomes with gastric foreign bodies. The cases that require surgery can become expensive with no guarantees of good outcomes. They also show the importance of exercising caution with what our pets have access to, especially puppies! So, for the first time, we have a dual-recognition of two dogs at the same time. Rocky and Benji – our Canine Pets of the Month for August!

Elmore- Feline Pet of the Month, August 2020

Elmore is a handsome sweet middle-aged kitty. Poor Elmore has been battling weight issues for years. Over the years, Elmore’s mom would try to be more strict about measuring out the food and ensuring that he was not getting excess. They even tried doing automated feeders that only put out a certain amount. Elmore gained weight over the years and finally topped out over 20 pounds. 

After years of frustrating attempts at weight loss, Elmore was put on Royal Canin’s new “diet” food called Satiety. He adjusted well to it and appeared to like the taste. Still sticking with appropriate measurement and strict follow-up weight visits, it started to pay off! In the first month, he was already down 1.5 pounds. 

Elmore has now been on Satiety for almost a year; and he has lost over 5 pounds! He is almost to his more ideal weight. Elmore is doing great and feeling great. Getting this weight down is great for his health and joints. 

We are so proud of Elmore’s success and the great job of Elmore’s mom sticking with the program and keeping up with follow-up visits! Especially with an overweight cat, slow and steady weight loss is desirable so they do not encounter any complications with their liver. His weight loss journey is amazing and that is why Elmore got to be the AHS feline Pet of the Month!