Bayside Animal Hospital

Case Study: Toby
Breed: Labrador retriever Mix
Age: 9 years
Sex: Male Neutered
Veterinarian: William Spofford, DVM

Toby presented to our hospital on December 3, 2007 with a large (6-7 inch), painful swollen mass at the underside of his neck. He had a putrid fish smell to his coat but no punctures or wounds were seen and Toby was running a fever of 104.1 F. He was holding his neck in a stiff, guarding manner and had not eaten well that day.

After examining him, x-rays were taken of his neck and a small bone-like density was observed between the trachea and carotid artery (a very precarious location). Toby was stabilized with IV fluids, antibiotics and pain medications in the hospital overnight and surgery was scheduled for the next day.

Surgery was performed the following day to explore the mass and hopefully locate and remove the bone that was deeply lodged in Toby’s neck. General anesthesia was performed with aggressive patient monitoring for safety, as the surgery to remove this fragmentAfter removing and flushing 1-2 cups of foul smelling pus and dead tissue from the area (an abscess had formed in the neck) the small bone was located and gently extracted.

The “bone” (see picture) turned out to be a total mystery. With the help of an inquisitive client the “bone” was finally identified as a barb/spine from a Bull Nose Ray that Toby had apparently eaten. The serrations on the barb caused the bone to perforate through Toby’s esophagus and lodge dangerously close to the large blood vessels and nerves of the neck.

Toby went on to make a full recovery in the next 3-4 weeks despite a few minor setbacks and is living comfortably at home in the Neck District of Dorchester County.