Dogs, as we know, often swallow what they shouldn’t. The strangest objects, sometimes even dangerous. And that’s exactly what happened at Harley in France. Taken to the vet because he was showing signs of impatience, the X-ray showed a strange, small mass the size of a plum, hidden in his stomach.
The big surprise, both for the doctor and for its owner, however, was to find out what it was: a Fitbit Tracker, a sort of watch-activity tracker that uses wireless and wearable devices to measure data such as the number of steps, quality of sleep, steps climbed, and other personal metrics. Marie Fournier, the owner, had noticed that one of her dogs was behaving quite strangely. After taking both Harley and Hailee, two Golden Retrievers, on separate trips, she realized something was wrong with the former. Dr. Renee Schmid, head of veterinary medicine and professional service at the Pet Poison Helpline, assessed the situation and then intervened.
“Once we carefully studied and evaluated the situation – explained the professional – we worked hard to find out how that Fitbit was made, the main concern was the battery”. When pets swallow foreign objects it is absolutely crucial to contact your vet immediately. Depending on the object involved, some invasive but necessary action may be required, as was the case with Harley. The battery that is swallowed is potentially dangerous for the body and the health of the four-legged friend because it contains chemical substances capable of causing burns or ulcers to the mouth, esophagus and stomach.
Harley had swallowed the device whole with the band around it. This circumstance, paradoxically, protected the dog from the possible deposit of lithium inside the stomach. Not only. The wrap also prevented the Fitbit from moving past the stomach and into the intestines, which would have caused more problems. The X-rays also showed, incredibly, that Harley had ingested another object: a small stone. Both foreign bodies were later removed in surgery. “It’s actually fortunate that Harley ate the Fitbit – the doctors told the owner – if she hadn’t, we would never have known about the stone and it could have caused much more damage, even the death of the animal. device that was inside my Harley’s belly is back to working properly, but now I’m much more careful to keep it out of his reach”.