Suspected GI Foreign Body Surgery in Dogs and Cats

Referrals Required for This Surgery

Our hospital does not provide diagnostic or consultation services for suspected GI foreign bodies. Instead, your pet’s care is transferred to us once a referring veterinarian has performed the diagnostic workup and recommended surgery.

We require a referral for the following reasons:

• The decision to pursue surgery should be made with your primary veterinarian, who knows your pet's medical history, has completed the necessary diagnostics (such as x-rays or ultrasound), and can discuss the full range of treatment options with you.
• Our surgical team's role begins after surgery has been advised. We do not offer in-clinic imaging, diagnostics, or pre-surgical consultations.
• A referral allows us to prioritize patient safety by reviewing complete records and understanding the medical background before proceeding with anesthesia and surgery.

What qualifies as a referral?

We're flexible. A referral can be as simple as:

• A shared set of medical records from your veterinarian
• A treatment plan indicating that surgery has been recommended
• A brief summary emailed, texted, or faxed from your vet's team
• Direct communication between our team and your rDVM

Our team will review the records in advance, and if we have any questions, we'll reach out directly to the referring clinic.

If you're a pet owner, please talk with your veterinarian first about whether surgery is the right option. Once that decision is made, we're here to provide safe, compassionate, and efficient surgical care.

Are There Alternatives?

Mild obstructions near the stomach can sometimes be removed via endoscopy (a camera-based tool), but this is not common. Sometimes obstructions can slowly move through the system and be eliminated in the stool, however this is rare, and this can increase the risk of intestinal damage. Most obstructions require surgery. Doing nothing often results in a poor or fatal outcome.

What Are the Risks?

• Anesthetic or surgical complications
• Infection or delayed healing
• Leakage at the surgery site
• Rare need for additional surgery

We take every precaution, but there are always risks with any major procedure. We'll talk you through everything.

When Additional Care Is Needed

In some cases, pets require more intensive or ongoing care after surgery. Because we are an outpatient only clinic, transfer to an overnight hospital may be recommended.

Pet's may need overnight care, especially if:

• • They are very young, old, or systemically sick
• • The obstruction caused tissue damage or infection
• • They need 24-hour IV medications, oxygen, or intensive monitoring

If this happens, we will coordinate a transfer to an emergency or specialty facility, and any costs associated with that transfer and continued care will be the owner’s responsibility.

Have Questions?

Please reach out to our team. We are happy to walk you through the process, answer your questions, and help you care for your pet before and after surgery.