Storm, a three-month-old Doberman puppy, recently found herself in a bit of a bind when her curious and playful instincts landed her at the practice. Her concerned owner brought her in after she had eaten a hair scrunchie over the weekend. Although she had vomited the scrunchie up, she then decided to eat it again! Since then, she had been vomiting up her treats and had lost all interest in her usual food.

After a thorough examination and discussion of her symptoms, we decided to perform an X-ray to get a clearer picture of what was going on.

The X-ray revealed a significant build-up of gas in Storm’s small intestines, as well as an enlarged stomach with further gas accumulation. This confirmed our suspicion that the scrunchie was causing an obstruction, which was likely responsible for the vomiting. The only option now was to go in and retrieve the scrunchie, so we prepared for surgery, hoping it would be a straightforward procedure.

However, once the surgery began, we discovered something surprising. Storm’s stomach was very large and felt quite firm. When we made an incision into the stomach, we found that she had not only swallowed a scrunchie—she had also ingested no fewer than four socks! It turns out that Storm’s mischievous nature had led her to swallow multiple foreign objects, all of which were contributing to the obstruction. There was no way these would have passed through her intestines, so we got there just in the nick of time.

Thankfully, we were able to remove all the items from her stomach, and it appeared that no lasting damage had been done.

Storm’s surgery was a success, and she recovered well in the days that followed. By the next day, she was eating and feeling much better, and she was able to go home with her relieved owner. Her vibrant personality quickly returned, and she was soon back to her playful, energetic self—though her owners are now keeping a much closer eye on what she can get her paws on!

This experience serves as a reminder to pet owners—especially those with puppies—about the potential dangers of everyday household items. Puppies like Storm are naturally curious and love to chew, which can sometimes lead them to swallow objects such as socks, hair accessories, or toys. These items, while seemingly harmless, can cause serious obstructions and even lead to life-threatening situations if not addressed promptly.

We’re delighted to report that Storm is now doing well and has fully recovered from her surgery. Her owners are more vigilant than ever and have taken extra precautions to ensure that Storm doesn’t get her teeth into any more tempting socks or scrunchies!