Prince, an 8 year old Shih Tzu Mix, was transferred from his regular veterinarian to EPH for overnight monitoring after being diagnosed with sand impaction. Prince had spent the day at the beach and ended up consuming a large amount of sand causing him to vomit up the sand about 24 hours later.
As sand moves through the GI tract of an animal, it can become impacted and cause vomiting, difficulty to pass a bowel movement, lethargy, and abdominal discomfort. In serious cases, the sand might need to be removed from the animals GI tract surgically.
Fortunately for Prince, he did not have to have surgery and after recieving the proper medications and IV fluids, he was able to move the sand through his GI tract on his own. He is now doing great!