Meet the tiny Chihuahua stuck with a big problem

When Rosco the Chihuahua came into the care of the Ontario SPCA Barrie Animal Centre with a mass on his abdomen, staff never imagined the foreign object the veterinarian would find inside the tiny dog’s stomach. 

Rosco came into the care of the Barrie Animal Centre as a stray on Dec. 3, 2018. Centre staff estimated that he was around three years old, but they were concerned to find he had quite a large mass on his abdomen. Although it didn’t seem to be bothering him, staff booked a veterinary appointment.

Tests determined the mass contained a large amount of bacteria and the veterinarian concluded it was an abscess that needed to be drained. It wasn’t until the mass was drained that the veterinarian spotted something abnormal. X-rays revealed Rosco had something lodged in his abdominal area. 

Surgery uncovered a 13-centimetre long wooden meat skewer that had pierced through Rosco’s stomach and abdominal wall! The determined little dog was lucky he found his way into our care when he did, before life-threatening sepsis set in. 

The treating veterinarian took great care of Rosco and beautifully repaired the stomach and abdominal wall. Rosco healed quickly and, after no one came forward to claim him, found a new friend to love him!  

How Rosco sustained this injury is a mystery, but his story serves as a reminder to keep household trash and human food away from your pets.

We wish Rosco all the best with his new family!