X-Ray Case Study: What is the foreign object?

Hey guys,
I have been pretty quiet the past few months. I've had a LOT going on at work, probably a little more than I thought I could handle, so as a result, my social & internet life had to take a break for a little while. It's really nice to be back...it's going to take a while to sift through everything I have missed.

A while ago, I posted a few threads which included pictures of some really cool xrays of some dogs and cats, and I got a lot of positive feedback about it. Several people asking me to continue those types of threads. Today, I got the most interesting case I have ever been involved in (in 12 years) as a vet tech....

8 year old, spayed female, dachshund. Spayed about one year ago, with no complications noted from the owner. The dog is brought to us for lack of appetite for a week, and lethargy. Here is what we found in the XRay.

What is in the abdomen? Lateral and Ventral Dorsal views of XRay shown.

Lateral


VD

Frog?

Toy frog with a button cell battery in it's head?

Noelle

Nope.

these are fun but I am terrible at them. Well since you say 'spayed' in bold, I'm going to guess perhaps surgical equipment? Did they leave the oviary in there? (looks way too big, but maybe??)
it's not a human birth control device is it? (that was my first thought)

I underlined "spayed female" in an attempt to make it a clue. The answer has to do with the fact that she is spayed. Remember that she was spayed later in life, say last year around this time.

The surgical procedure was done properly. And it is not a birth control device.

Keep guessing. Not necessarily something that has been swallowed....

Okay, no more clues.

I think I see a spine. Is that a puppy?



Noelle

Christine, I was just thinking the same thing! Spine of a puppy??

A puppy is the first thing I thought it was. The first x-ray looks to show a skull.

Is it a sibling that didn't completely split from her?

I'm thinking it's some sort of reptile since this was posted in the "General Herp Talk" section.