Assessment
What happened?
Waffles swallowed a pair of socks. It's now sitting in her stomach — not stuck in a way that's hurting her yet, but big enough that it won't slide through to her intestines on its own. The longer it stays, the more we worry about two things: irritation of the stomach lining, and the object moving into a tighter spot where things get more serious.
This is time-sensitive
We want to act within 24–48 hours, soon enough to prevent this issue from becoming more serious.
Overview
Lateral view · GI tract
Synced just now
123Foreign body
What it is, how it's sitting
Stomach wall
Still healthy
Extraction area
Incision and treatment area
Treatment options
Surgical removal (gastrotomy)
A small, planned incision to open the stomach, remove the object cleanly, and close everything back up.
Wait and watch, with induced vomiting
Try to get Waffles to bring the object up with a quick medication, then monitor closely if it works.
Endoscopic retrieval of object from stomach
A flexible camera scope entered through the mouth, with a grasper to secure and extract the object.
A 60–90 minute surgery under general anesthesia. Small midline abdominal incision; the stomach is opened, the object removed, both layers closed.
Drop-off in the morning, one overnight stay for monitoring, home the next afternoon.
Drop-off 8 AM · pickup 12 PM next day
Quiet at home for 10–14 days. Soft food, leashed walks only, e-collar. Restricted movement.
$3,400 – $5,200
Includes anesthesia, surgery, and overnight stay.
97% uncomplicated recovery in dogs Waffles's age & size.
From 1,284 Ethos-network cases, 2022–2025.
Cost & Financing
Final cost depends on a few decisions made at the time. These brackets cover ~85% of cases like Waffles's.
Includes all in-clinic items. Insurance estimate applied if on file. No surprise add-ons.