Kolkata pathology lab performs non-invasive endoscopic foreign body removal procedure, saves 2-year-old Labrador that swallowed bike keys

Chanda said they took the Labrador, affectionately called Canoy, to the local vet, who asked them to give him some sour food like curd or lime so that he would vomit out the keys. But since nothing happened, the vet advised them to get an ultrasonography (USG) of the stomach done. As such a facility was not available for animals in Singur, the family brought Canoy to a government veterinary hospital in Kolkata’s Belgachia.

The USG located the bike keys inside the stomach. Thereafter, the pet owners’ family were told they could get the keys removed either through general surgery or endoscopy. The Chanda family opted for the endoscopy for its non-invasive nature.

When The Indian Express consulted a veterinarian, he said, “If the family had opted for general surgery for the removal of the keys, then it would have taken a long time for the dog to recover, as the stomach had to be cut open. There were also chances of infections, and the stitches could have ruptured, as the dog is young and playful. On the other hand, endoscopy is less painful.”

The hospital referred Canoy to a pathology lab in south Kolkata for the endoscopic foreign body removal procedure.

Pratip Chakraborty, CEO of the laboratory, said, “As our lab had already conducted an endoscopic procedure on a Beagle successfully last week, we were confident. The team worked skilfully and smoothly after sedating the dog, and the keys were brought out within 10 minutes from the mouth with the help of advanced technological instruments.”

Talking about the procedure, Chanda said, “We could never have thought such an incident would happen; we are very careful now. He loves to eat, and we were told that no food should be given to him on the day of the procedure. Since he could not eat, none of us ate. No food was cooked at home that day. After Canoy returned home, we organised a homecoming party for him.”