My sick dog's X-ray shows empty bowel. Is it an intestinal blockage?

I recommend doing a GI contrast series of X-rays first. That will show if there is a blockage from her eating something that is stuck in the intestines. The ultrasound for this is not as helpful in my opinion and shouldn’t be necessary unless there is no blockage and they want to check her abdomen and other organs. This is a serious problem so please get the contrast study done soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your dog.

You should never give your dog bones, it is possible that he has an intestinal blockage due to the bone ingestion, i strongly recommend taking him to the vet ASAP in order to have an xray done. if the bone is still there and blocking the GI system, a surgery to have the bone removed is necessary.

If the vomiting continues than he could have a blockage. If he is otherwise acting ok than you could withhold food for the day and then try a bland diet of boil chicken and white rice. If the vomiting resolves, continue feeding the bland diet for a few days and then gradually switch back to his regular food. If the vomiting and diarrhea continues then he needs to be examined by a veterinarian to determine the cause. Your veterinarian can take an x-ray to help diagnose and then determine the best way to treat his problem.

I am very concerned about Pilly, it sounds like he has a very upset stomach! My top concern would be a blockage in his intestines caused by something that he ate, like a toy, bone, sock, trash, etc. This would also prevent food from moving through his system and turning into feces. Other possibilities include bacterial or viral infection, intestinal parasites, or other internal issue. I recommend that Pilly see a vet as soon as possible. Your vet will probably recommend x-rays and maybe even blood work depending on what they discover during the physical exam.

This an x-ray focused on the caudal abdomen. As far as I can see there is moderate distension of the last part of the intestine (colon) which is filled with feces and gas. There are no other abnormalities and the radiopacity on the ventro-dorsal view is due to an artifact rather than an actual abnormality.

I would certainly be worried about some type of intra-abdominal problem, and to me the next step is to take an x-ray to see if what's going on inside can be determined. Often blood work isn't abnormal when there are gastrointestinal conditions, such as a stomach or intestinal blockage, a food intolerance, or pancreatitis (serious inflammation of the pancreas). It sounds like Balto is significantly uncomfortable, and I would really want to get a look at his GI tract, either with an x-ray or an abdominal ultrasound.

Typically, no, hookworms will not cause the intensities to become bunched. There are some parasites, specifically whipworms, that can cause an intusseception (where the bowel folds in on itself) but this usually causes severe illness (vomiting and diarrhea). Based on the X-rays, it does not look like your dog has any sort of intestinal blockage. If your dog is vomiting or having diarrhea for more than 24-48 hours after being treated for worms, then she will need to be checked out again by your vet. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck!