Death Due to Migration of a Wooden Skewer Foreign Body from the Gastrointestinal Tract to the Lung in a Dog

Sharp wooden skewers can easily migrate from the gastrointestinal tract after ingestion and penetrate to abdominal and chest organs. Clinical signs can vary depending on the location of the foreign body. This report describes the death due to the penetration of a foreign body (kebab skewer) from the gastrointestinal tract into the lungs in a dog. A 6-month-old mixed-breed male dog weighing 16 kg was referred to the clinic due to severe dyspnea, anorexia, and diarrhea. The physical examination showed a sharp increase in the number of breathing and severe dyspnea. Lateral thoracic radiography revealed the unilateral collapse of the caudal lobe of the lung and fluid accumulation or mass in the thorax. In order to obtain a dorsoventral radiograph, the dog was anesthetized using the diazepam-ketamine combination. Shortly after induction, the dog experienced cardiopulmonary arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation was not successful. At autopsy, a wooden kebab skewer with a length of about 15 cm was observed in the abdomen and chest of the animal. The importance of thorough physical examination and patient assessment before anesthetic induction or positioning for radiography, thoracocentesis, and provision of adequate ventilation and oxygenation are discussed.