My dog ate rubber, X-rays clear. Is it her stomach or foreign object?

Especially in the case of objects that are not metal or bone, which show up quite obviously on x-ray, it can be difficult to distinguish foreign objects in the stomach on x-rays, and sometimes when the results of the x-rays are equivocal we have to make the decision to go to surgery to find out for sure whether there is a blockage. Sometimes it is helpful to put a contrast agent into the GI tract, such as barium or even air, as they can aid in making the diagnosis. However, sometimes even board-certified surgeons and board-certified radiologists are not certain whether there is something foreign in the stomach, and even they make mistakes. Or sometimes we will go in to the abdomen, open the stomach, and indeed find something foreign, only to find out that it is something (like paper) that would have likely passed normally. It can be a very tough call and unfortunately sometimes we don't get a definitive answer until we go in and look.

Unfortunately the quality of the image coming through to us isn't great. If you are talking about the circular area on the upper right side of the abdomen, this is gas in the stomach and can be normal. If your vet wants to try additional diagnostics but doesn't have ultrasound, they could do a barium study, or they could send the x-rays to a radiologist for review (a veterinary radiologist has extensive training at reviewing x-rays and so can sometimes interpret things a regular vet may not). X-rays can be send electronically to a radiologist for review through various services, so I would ask them if they feel either of these options would be appropriate.

Bed sheet is not a material that is easy to spot on the xray, it doesn't mean it is not there. it could still be in the stomach or intestines, Midnight will need to have an ultrasound done, it is a more specific imaging diagnostic test for this sort of foreign material.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. The x-rays that you provided show what looks to be foreign material in the stomach. It looks very similar to pieces of a ball with the rounded edges. This does not appear to be ingested food based on the appearance and shape period while not serious at the moment, one of these could pass from the stomach into the intestines and cause serious problems. I would consider rechecking the X-ray a few hours after the previous x-rays have been taken to see if there has been any change in the pattern. If there is no change in the pattern, I would suggest taking pixie in for surgery to have the abdomen explored. Prior to the surgery, you can also have an abdominal ultrasound performed to help confirm foreign material in the stomach. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please feel free to contact you any other questions or concerns you may have

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! An official diagnosis requires at least 2 view radiographs. However, this 1 view definitely looks consistent with a GDV and warrants a veterinary evaluation as soon as possible. Best of luck!

I can see a few areas in the x-ray that would concern me although I don’t think there’s an obvious foreign body or obstruction. It might be more obvious in person - it’s difficult to look at x-rays on a phone. Any time a dog is continuing to vomit despite appropriate treatment with anti nausea medication I get concerned, and it sounds like exploratory surgery might be the next step.

We can't often see tumors in the stomach on x-rays because they blend in with the surrounding tissues. Black areas on x-rays are often pockets of gas, which may be normal. I would recommend asking your vet what you are seeing on the x-rays.