Late one afternoon Tiny’s mum phoned to inform us he was choking on a ball and that she was on her way in to us. This phone call gave us valuable minutes to have all equipment ready to assist Tiny. On presentation Tiny was visibly distressed and his breathing clearly compromised but surprisingly he was still able to walk in and greet us with a tail wag!!
It was all hands on deck…
An intravenous catheter was placed and anaesthesia was administered to relax Tiny enough to visualise and remove the ball. Also at hand were oxygen and all equipment needed to assist Tiny. Dr Tom could clearly see the ball lodged in his oropharynx, he also noticed this ball had ‘holes’ in it and was hollow which had allowed Tiny to still, thankfully, pass a small amount of air through. These holes also allowed Dr Tom to quickly dislodge and extricate the ball by using special forceps!
How did Tiny come to choke on a ball?
Tiny just loves balls and whilst playing ball with his friends he tried fit three in his mouth and one managed to lodge in his throat!
After removal Tiny was administered oxygen and intensively monitored to ensure his breathing and other vital signs had returned to normal. An inspection was also performed of his mouth and pharynx (throat) for any signs of damage and as he recovered we ensured he was able to swallow properly.
Tiny was an absolute trooper throughout and recovered brilliantly, he was able to go back home within a couple of hours to be monitored in the comfort of his loving home.