A Young Dalmatian Who Died After Surgery for a Swallowed Chew

We're so sorry about your boy. Losing a young dog suddenly, just when he seemed

Please be gentle with yourself about the timing. A blockage often looks like a stomach bug at first: a day of vomiting, then not eating, while the dog keeps drinking. Many owners never see their dog swallow the object. Your family had just had the flu, so thinking he had caught something was a very reasonable assumption.

Surgery for a blockage often goes well, especially when the object can be taken out of the stomach. When a section of intestine has been damaged and has to be removed, as it was for him, the risks are higher, even in young, strong dogs. Studies suggest the risk of serious complications is higher when intestine has to be removed than when the object can be taken out through a single small cut. The most serious complication, a leak where the intestine was joined, usually shows up in the first few days after surgery and can make a dog suddenly and severely ill. Other possible causes of sudden death after major abdominal surgery include a blood clot, a heart rhythm problem or a sudden severe infection. A fever doesn't always appear, even with serious infection, and not eating may have been the only early sign.

If you'd like answers, ask your vet to talk you through the surgery and what they think happened. A post-mortem examination, if one was done or is still possible, can sometimes give a clearer answer. When you bring a new dog home, choose chews that can't be swallowed whole and remove them once they're small enough to swallow.

See why dogs throw up and bowel obstruction in dogs.

This is general information, not a diagnosis. Please follow your own vet's advice.