Those of you who follow us on Facebook have probably noticed trends in veterinary cases from one year to the next.  We’ve had years with multiple eye enucleations, trauma, or urinary blockages. 2018 has been dubbed the foreign body obstruction year with four cases so far.  This is one trend we discourage others from trying! Surgeries have removed items ranging from a rock to a plush toy to toddler socks, all items we don’t expect our pets to swallow, yet when they do, things can become life-threatening all too soon.

We encourage pet parents to keep a close eye on their pets and to pet-proof their homes. To many, this means putting up baby gates to block stairs or inspecting fences to make sure there are no holes or low spots to dig out.  When we say pet-proof your home it means get down on your pets’ level. What do they see? What potential hazards exist that you might not have noticed before?  Human medications, food items like sugarless gum, electrical cords not properly covered, secured or unplugged, and even seemingly harmless items like your baby’s socks or small furry toys can be a disaster waiting to happen.

Read our Happy Tails column to learn about one obstruction case that almost didn’t result in a happy ending.