Emergency surgery to retrieve sharp object saves life

Mysuru: A Golden Retriever, which had accidentally swallowed a sewing needle recently, has been successfully treated by the veterinarian of a pet clinic in the city.

Sowmya Praveen, a TV actress and a resident of Vijayanagar 4th Stage, has a one-year-old male Golden Retriever named Krishna, which had picked up the needle and the thread attached to it and swallowed it. As she saw the dog gulping the sharp object, she rushed him to Dr. H.V. Deepak of Shree Pet Clinic in Vijayanagar 4th Stage and informed the veterinarian about the incident.

The X-Ray showed that the needle was lodged in the pet’s stomach. A surgical team headed by Dr. Deepak and Dr. Nikith operated the pet as the needle was life-threatening. “Being a metallic sharp foreign body in the stomach, there was every chance of the needle piercing the surrounding organs like lungs, liver and pancreas,” Dr. Deepak told Star of Mysore.

The needle can certainly lodge in other places, can perforate the gut and can do a great deal of damage as it travels through. The surgical team performed the emergency procedure for two hours and the needle along with thread were retrieved from Krishna’s stomach. “After 10 days of post-operative care, Krishna is now back with the family and he has recovered fully,” Dr. Deepak said.

Sowmya Praveen said that her pet has recovered fully. “Thanks to the immediate surgical procedure, he is fine now. Fortunately, I was there when the Golden Retriever swallowed the needle and I could act without delay. He is as usual playful, healthy and naughty now as before after recuperating,” she revealed.

In a word of caution, Dr. Deepak said that pet parents must keep sharp metal objects and toxic substances away from pets and have to monitor their activities to avoid such accidents which could eventually turn fatal. The entire family needs to be vigilant on hiding items the dog might possibly swallow.

“We receive a number of cases where the pets have consumed disinfectants and other objects in the house,” Dr. Deepak added.