[Princess10]

I get emails from petplace.com & this is part of one I got today. Thought it was very interesting!

Dog ate tennis balls - This is another one that is hard to believe. A basset hound named "Barney" came in with a laceration on his foot. He had been in the yard and somehow got cut. The laceration was minor and was easily "fixed" with a few sutures. However, during the exam the veterinarian felt the abdomen and thought the stomach felt "funny". They asked the owners if Barney had any vomiting or digestive problems and the owner said that he vomits occasionally but no real problems. The veterinarian felt strongly that something was not right and recommended an X-ray. The owner agreed. The X-ray showed the dog had 7 tennis balls in his stomach! How could this dog have eaten seven tennis balls? The owner said they often saw him playing with a ball and then never saw it again! Unbelievable. Although these balls were not actively causing the dog a problem, the vet recommended that the tennis balls be surgically removed. Barney is now doing fine and his owner will not give him any more tennis balls.
Pets get into all kinds of things - it's a common problem. This emphasizes the importance of monitoring your pets. They can eat and ingest toys, string, ribbon and just about anything else. Underwear, socks and panty hose are other favorites of many dogs. Please monitor your dog closely.
Until next time,
Dr. Jon



P.S. The average cost for a surgery to remove an object from a pet's stomach varies from practice to practice. Prices vary in different parts of the country and also depend on the individual pet's condition. But $1,210 to $2,200 is not uncommon for this kind of surgery. Pet insurance covers these types of emergencies. Find out if Pet Insurance is right for you and your pet.

P.P.S. Try to set aside some money every month to save for these types of emergencies. If you are not good at saving every month (most of us are not), then consider pet insurance. They have a number of different plans to fit different budgets. To get a quote and see if there is plan that is right for you, go to: petinsurance.com.