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Peach stone or pancreatitis?

Species: Dog
Breed: westie
Age: 11-15 years
My dog ate a peach stone. It appeared to give no problems, but two to three weeks later he started to bring up froth at night. On the third night there was blood in the froth so I took him to the vet where he was given Xrays, which showed no abnormality. However, a couple of days later he started to swell up and later died, despite being put on a drip. He had suffered with pancreatitis five years previously and this was a recurrence. My question is that, although there was no sign of the peach stone on the Xray, is it likely that it could have ruptured his internal organs in transit, causing the pancreatitis attack? He suffered so much and I can't bear to think that it was my negligence which caused my old friend to die so painfully. However, my husband said that he seemed tender in the abdomen region before he ate the stone and we had been warned that the pancreatitis could recur.
Many thanks for your help. I would be happy to pay for your advice, but I am afraid to use my credit card on line as there has been so much credit card fraud recently.


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

I'm so sorry to hear about your dog.

I have seen cases where a peach pit did not turn up well on xrays. Situations like this are difficult. If there was a stone then sometimes we can see a pattern of gas that tells us there is some type of obstruction, but not always.

Sometimes, if we think there is a stone obstructing the intestines we can do something called a barium series where we give a dog a liquid called barium that turns up well on radiographs. However, a barium series is relatively expensive, so it is not something that would be done in every case.

With this being said, a peach pit in the intestines would not cause pancreatitis so most likely this was a separate problem. Sometimes we can blame pancreatitis on the dog eating something fatty, but often we don't know what the cause was. Many dogs with pancreatitis recover with the proper treatment but I have had some cases where it was severe enough that the dog died even with the best of treatment.

So sorry for your loss.

Dr. Marie.

---This question was asked in our Ask A Vet For Free section.---


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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.