Intestine congestion may be caused by different foreign substances. Foreign substances are bodies that are unnatural to a digestive tract. Any body that is inedible may become a foreign substance.
Causes
Intestine impassability caused by foreign substances occurs inside dogs that are used to eating sticks, stones, rubber, hide, food wrapper, pieces of bones, corn ears, shaggy balls and other similar objects. Dogs often don't sort things to take in their mouth. They examine new, interesting things and often swallow them without chewing. As a result bodies of very different sizes and forms get in a dog's stomach.
Some substances can't be evacuated by vomiting. Coal oil makes some of them easier to pass through a digestive tract. Others go through the intestines and come out with faeces without difficulty. A bread or a flour broth cover the substance or a piece of bone that was swallowed. Thus the remains will go out easily and won't injure the intestines (there are many evidences of finding foreign substances inside dogs in the course of fluoroscopic observations conducted for some other reasons. Most likely these things don't bother dogs if doesn't constipate the entry in the small intestine).
Symptoms
Foreign substances may stick in any part of digestive tract. Depending on the place where the thing got stuck, the degree of irritation and constipation of digestive tract the symptoms may vary.
- Strong salivation
- Belching
- Bloating of belly
- Refusal of food and resulting loss of weight
- Constipation
Warning!!!
If the owner and the veterinarian won't interfere there's a high possibility that a foreign substance inside a digestive system will cause the dog's death.
Treatment
If the substance hasn't been evacuated through vomit or faeces within the next few hours one should immediately turn to a vet. The doctor may observe the dog for a short time or decide to do a surgical operation immediately. The only possible way to escape is a surgical treatment!
Preventive Measures
Never leave the dog unsupervised in the places where he may swallow something. Garbage should be kept in a dog-proof place. Remember that dogs quickly learn how to open the lid of a refuge bin. Teach him the command "Leave!" and when notice that the dog holds a suspicious thing in his mouth, take it away right away.
Irina Barykina
Bullmastiff in Russia