Manual removal of irregular-shaped foreign body lodged in the pharyngolaryngeal area in 4-months-old puppy

Abstract

Choke in the veterinary profession is a term used to denote an obstruction to the passage route of food through the pharynx and oesophagus, either partially or completely. This case report describes a four-month-old male puppy, a Nigerian indigenous breed of dog weighing 6kg, diagnosed with oesophageal obstruction caused by ingestion of a fried chicken scapular bone. The puppy was presented at the emergency unit of the University of Jos Veterinary Teaching Hospital, where it was clinically evaluated, diagnosed and managed via manual removal of the dislodged bone that was performed with sterile thumb forceps under deep sedation. Reducing the incidence of foreign body obstruction in dogs can be achieved by ensuring that dogs are not fed with large, irregularly shaped bone and/ or bones with sharp edges. The bones are correctly disposed-off in the environment. Furthermore, bones should not be fed to dogs where likely competition for the bone is likely as a choke at the pharyngolaryngeal region can occur.