Community Animal HospitalsGuided by AAHA standards · St. Petersburg, FL
Community Animal HospitalsGuided by AAHA standards · St. Petersburg, FL
Come in for an exam and x-rays. The x-rays show the size, number and position of what was swallowed, and the veterinarian decides from there. If it is causing a blockage, surgery to correct it is done here, in our own surgical suite.
Do not wait to see if it passes. Some swallowed objects do pass; some cause a blockage, and from the outside you cannot tell which. An x-ray can.
We are closed right now. Do not wait for us to open if your pet is vomiting, not eating, or seems to be in pain — go to a 24-hour emergency hospital.
If you can come in now, calling is faster. Otherwise tell us what was swallowed and when, and we’ll get back to you.
Because size, number and position decide what happens next, and only an x-ray shows them. A swallowed object that is small and smooth may move through on its own. One that is large, sharp, or one of many may not — and an object stuck in the stomach or intestine stops food and fluid getting through.
Chicken bones are a good example. They are thin, they splinter, and the pieces can become sharp, especially if a dog ate a lot of them or large pieces. We recommend an x-ray to see the size and amount before deciding anything.
If there is a blockage, the answer is surgery to correct it — the same as a blockage from any other cause.
Fabric does not break down and can bunch up in the intestine.
Squeakers, balls and chewed-off chunks of rubber or plastic.
Chicken bones that splinter; larger bones that are too big to pass.
A common cause of intestinal blockage in dogs.
Especially in cats. If you see string coming from your pet’s mouth or rear end, do not pull it — bring your pet in.
If it fits in the mouth, a pet has swallowed it somewhere.
A pet can show none of these at first and still have a blockage developing. If you know or suspect your pet swallowed something, that alone is a reason to come in.
During our open hours, walk-ins are seen — there may be a wait. Calling ahead lets us know you are coming.
On our own digital x-ray equipment, the same visit. The x-rays show what the exam cannot.
For all proposed diagnostics and treatment, before any work begins.
If surgery is the answer, it is done in our own surgical suite. Rechecks and suture removal are included.
Surgery for a swallowed object — on the stomach or the intestine, depending on where it is — is done here, by our own veterinarians, with anesthesia monitored by a technician assigned to your pet and doing nothing else.
Before surgery you can speak with the veterinarian doing the procedure — about what they expect to find, what recovery looks like, and anything that worries you. That is routine here, not a special request.
No referral needed. If your veterinarian has already examined your pet or taken x-rays, bring the records, email them to petcare@communityanimalhospitals.com, or tell us on the form who has them and we will request them for you.
The veterinarians across our two hospitals include two former owners of 24-hour primary care and emergency hospitals, and doctors with more than 25 years in practice ownership.
It depends on what the x-rays show. An object that can be watched is a very different bill from one that needs surgery, and surgery depends on where the object is and whether the stomach or intestine has been damaged. That is why the first step is the exam and x-rays, and why the next step is a written estimate.
You receive a written, itemized estimate for all proposed diagnostics and treatment before any work begins. You will never get a bill you have not approved. If we find something unexpected during surgery, we call you before doing anything about it.
Many of our clients find that financing part or all of the procedure through Cherry works best for them.
According to Cherry, the application takes under 35 seconds from start to finish, and “Cherry performs a soft credit check which does not affect your credit score.”
Check your options with Cherry
We also accept CareCredit and Scratch Pay.
Most people are less worried about the procedure than about the anesthesia. That is a fair worry, and it deserves a straight answer.
Pre-anesthetic bloodwork tells us how your pet’s liver and kidneys will handle the anesthetic drugs. It is also how we catch the problem that changes the plan — before we start, not during.
The catheter means immediate access to a vein if we need it, rather than looking for one in an emergency. Fluids maintain blood pressure, which is what protects the kidneys under anesthesia.
A trained technician is assigned to your pet’s anesthesia and does nothing else for the duration — heart rate and rhythm, blood oxygen, blood pressure, temperature and breathing, continuously, with hands on your pet.
Anesthetised animals lose heat quickly, and a cold patient recovers badly — slower waking, more shivering, more pain. Active warming runs through the procedure and into recovery. It is unglamorous and it matters.
Almost never, and age by itself is not the reason to decline. In the largest study of US primary-care practice — 822 hospitals — the anesthetic death rate was 0.05% in dogs and 0.11% in cats. What moves that number is health status, not age: in sick patients it rises roughly twenty-five fold. Which is why what we do before the procedure matters more than the number on the birthday.
Bloodwork, a physical examination, and a plan built around what we find. If something turns up that changes the risk, we tell you before the day, not after.
AAHA’s 2023 senior care guidelines: “Advanced age alone is not a contraindication to general anesthesia.”
We do not provide overnight care. For most procedures your pet goes home the same day — home is quieter, and you are the person who notices first when something is not right. You will go home with written aftercare instructions and a number to call if anything worries you.
If your pet does need overnight monitoring, we will say so and refer you to a 24-hour facility that can give it. That is a judgment made on the day, about your pet — not a policy.
Most pets go home wearing a cone (an e-collar) so they cannot lick or chew at the incision while it heals.
Recheck visits and suture removal are included in the surgery price.
Questions after you get home go to us — six days a week, 7:30am–6:30pm.
5895 54th Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33709
Clients travel as far as 15–20 miles for surgery with us, from St. Petersburg · Gulfport · Pinellas Park · Seminole · Bardmoor · Tyrone Square · South Pasadena · Kenneth City · Lealman and beyond · Open 7:30am–6:30pm, six days a week
Sometimes, and from the outside nobody can tell you which. That is the reason to x-ray: size, number and position decide whether it is likely to move through or likely to block.
Bring your dog in for an x-ray. Chicken bones are thin, they splinter, and pieces can become sharp, especially in a large amount. The x-ray shows the size and amount, and the veterinarian decides from there.
Bring your cat in. If you can see string hanging from the mouth or under the tail, do not pull it — string can be anchored further in, and pulling can cause damage.
Not unless a veterinarian tells you to. Some objects do more damage coming back up than going down. Call us, or bring your pet in.
Go to a 24-hour emergency hospital. Do not wait for us to open if your pet is vomiting repeatedly, cannot keep water down, or seems to be in pain.
No. You can come in or contact us directly.