Every year Veterinary Practice News holds a contest called "They Ate What?" in which veterinarians and clinic staff send in X-rays and case descriptions of the craziest things their patients have swallowed.
The contest is a fun way to share offbeat incidents from the trenches of veterinary practice, but the stories do serve as a reminder that our pets need to be protected from the consequences of their dietary indiscretions. Here are a few highlights from the 2011 "They Ate What?" contest. Runners Up:
Lisa Anne Attanasi, DVM, Eaglewood Cliffs Veterinary, Eaglewood Cliffs, NJ
Wailen, a 12-year-old beagle, presumably was brought into the clinic with symptoms of gastrointestinal distress. His veterinarian ordered abdominal X-rays, which revealed a hodgepodge of foreign "stuff" in his stomach. During surgery, the doctor removed shoe laces, mulch, a knee high stocking, a plastic plant, plastic ties, and the bristles of a car snow-cleaning brush.
Jenny Yanson, practice manager, Suburbia North Animal Hospital
Tinkerbell, a 6-month-old bulldog, ate a metal slip collar, became ill, and was brought into her veterinarian’s office. X-rays revealed that this was not her first offense. Two slip collars were surgically removed from her stomach.
And a few of my favorites from the Honorable Mentions:
Melissa Seavey, Healthy Paws Veterinary Center, Westborough, MA
Ten baby bottle nipples were removed from the stomach of a 4-month-old golden retriever.
Stephen Crosby, CVT, VTS, New Haven Central Hospital for Veterinary Medicine, New Haven, CT
An owner was feeding peanut butter off a spoon to her Alaskan malamute, who managed to gulp down the treat while it was still attached to the spoon. X-rays showed that the dog had previously also eaten a piece of a collar and a toy.
Caitlin Fickett, Alaska Veterinary Clinic, Anchorage, AK
A dog came in for vomiting and eating grass. X-rays revealed a foreign body in the stomach. The next morning, an additional X-ray better showed the object — a hard plastic dinosaur.
Patti Klein Manke, DVM, Woodstock Veterinary Clinic, Woodstock, NY
Prince Edward, a 9-year-old bulldog, ate his owner’s false teeth after finding them in a bowl of ice cream. The teeth were returned to the owner. (Hopefully they were cleaned well before being put back into duty!)
For more cases, reprints of the X-rays, and other photographs, visit the Veterinary
Dr. Jennifer Coates
