From: Laurie Zacher, DVM, MS, DACVS-SA
Lulu is a 5-year-old female spayed Golden Doodle. She was presented to CTVSEH for a suspected foreign body. She had a history of inappetence since being adopted 2 years earlier and the owner had been changing her diet frequently to get her to eat. Two days before presentation she was febrile, inappetent, and having diarrhea. Bloodwork performed at her family veterinarian showed a WBC count of 60,000 with mild azotemia. An abdominal radiograph showed “wire in the stomach” and she was referred for a foreign body. Lulu was spayed by an unknown organization prior to being adopted by her current owner.
Lulu was taken to surgery and a softball-sized firm mass effect was found in the right cranial abdomen adhered to the duodenum and pancreas. The mass effect was carefully removed and was found to be a walled-off abscess with 5 4X4 gauze sponges inside. At CTVSEH we use the same gauze sponges with radiopaque markers. We count at the start and end of every surgery before closing. If the count is off, we take a radiograph to be sure there is no gauze in the abdomen. Lulu is doing great at home.
