FOREIGN BODY IN THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT OF DOGS: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

ABSTRACT

Foreign body in the digestive tract (FBDT) often affects the canine species. The clinical signs are nonspecific, thus it is necessary to perform complementary tests to obtain its diagnosis. This study objective was to evaluate 50 dogs of the Veterinary Hospital in the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (HV-UFMG), observing the racial predisposition, age, sex, types, topography, radiographic and ultrasonographic aspects of the FBDT occurrence. The diagnosis was obtained by the use of radiographic exams (37%), ultrasonographic exams (37%) or both of them (26% of the cases). No racial predilection was found, but male dogs were the most affected, representing 62% of the population. The average age of occurrence was 5.8 ± 4.5 years. The most frequently site where FB was found were stomach (42%) and jejunum (24% of the cases). The most common FBDT object were fabric (16%) and fruit seeds (12%), but metal, bone, plastic and rubber objects were also found too. Radiographic and ultrasonographic examinations were efficient in isolation and /or in association, with 98% of cases of FBDT being successfully detected in dogs.