Meet the gorgeous Hugo, a 14-month-old Samoyed. He’s had his fair share of veterinary visits in the time that we’ve known him – but his most recent visit definitely takes the cake!

Hugo was transferred to BVH after an overnight visit to Casey Pet Emergency (CPE), where x-rays indicated a suspicious looking foreign body within his gastrointestinal tract.

Hugo was admitted to hospital and prepped for an exploratory laparotomy – a procedure whereby the abdomen is opened for further investigation under a general anaesthetic.

During surgery, Dr. Isabelle discovered TWO toys within his intestines – a small portion of a plastic dog toy that was easily removed, and a squeaker toy – which proved to be slightly more challenging! Unfortunately, irreparable damage had been caused to a small section of his bowel. Dr. Isabelle removed this section and re-joined the healthy tissue. Further investigation of the remaining gastrointestinal tract indicated another potential foreign body within the colon, however the apparent ‘soft material’ appeared to be making its way through and was left to pass naturally.

Hugo was transferred back to CPE for overnight care, returning the following morning for further monitoring and pain relief. He successfully passed the remaining foreign material – a small rock and a piece of fabric and was reunited with his family for ongoing aftercare that evening.

Over the coming days, Hugo returned to CPE and BVH for follow up visits. We are pleased to report that Hugo is now on then mend. We are looking forward to seeing Hugo back next month for his ROUTINE annual vaccination!