When 7-year-old Dandy suddenly began struggling to keep food and water down, her mom, Tori Shank, knew something wasn’t right. The little dog had been vomiting on and off for more than a week, and her symptoms showed no signs of going away. Worried about what might be happening, Shank brought Dandy to MedVet Akron in Ohio, where she worked as a radiology assistant.
An ultrasound revealed something that made the situation even more frightening. There appeared to be a mass in Dandy’s stomach, raising concerns that the beloved dog might have a tumor. Her family feared they could be facing a heartbreaking diagnosis, but the veterinary team was about to discover something nobody expected.
A Frightening Discovery Leaves Dandy’s Family Worried
Dandy’s symptoms had started with repeated vomiting, making it difficult for her to keep food and water down. After more than a week of watching her struggle, Shank decided that her dog needed a closer examination.
“She was vomiting on and off for a little over a week,” Shank told The Dodo.
When the veterinary team performed an ultrasound, they noticed what appeared to be an unusual growth in Dandy’s stomach. Given its appearance and location, the possibility of a tumor immediately became a serious concern.
Shank understood how difficult the situation could become. A surgeon explained that even if they operated, there was a chance they might discover something they could not safely treat because of where the suspected mass was located.
For Shank and her family, the uncertainty was devastating. They worried that their 7-year-old companion might be facing a life-threatening condition, and they had no way of knowing what the next examination would reveal.
Veterinarians Discover Something Completely Unexpected
Before moving forward with invasive surgery, MedVet Akron’s Internal Medicine team decided to examine the suspicious area using an endoscope. This allowed them to look inside Dandy’s digestive tract and investigate what had appeared to be a mass on the ultrasound.
What they found changed everything. The frightening growth wasn’t a tumor at all.
It was an entire yellow potato. Somehow, Dandy had swallowed the potato whole, and it had remained trapped inside her stomach. Shank estimated that it had probably been there for at least two weeks.
The discovery came as an enormous relief to everyone involved. What had initially looked like a potentially devastating medical problem turned out to be an unusual foreign object that the veterinary team could remove.
Shank remembered having potatoes at home but couldn’t recall seeing Dandy get hold of one. Exactly when or how the curious pup swallowed it remained a mystery.
The veterinary team successfully removed the potato using the endoscope, avoiding the more invasive surgery they had initially considered. The hospital staff celebrated the unexpected discovery, and Shank was thrilled to learn that her dog didn’t have the feared tumor.
Dandy Makes A Happy Recovery And Gets A Fitting Costume
Following the procedure, Dandy quickly began acting more like herself. Although she experienced some throat irritation for a couple of days afterward, Shank said her little companion recovered well.
“Afterward, she perked right back up,” Shank told The Dodo. Her mom also confirmed that Dandy had been doing perfectly fine since the potato was removed.
With the frightening ordeal behind them, Shank found a way to turn the strange experience into something amusing. Since Halloween was approaching, she picked out a costume inspired by the very object that had caused so much worry.
Dandy would be dressing up as a baked potato. After everything she had been through, the costume was a fitting way to remember her unusual veterinary visit.
MedVet Akron also shared Dandy’s unusual experience, celebrating both the successful removal and her recovery. The clinic confirmed that the little dog was doing well and had the perfect costume just in time for Halloween.
For Shank, the relief of learning that Dandy didn’t have a tumor was the greatest part of the experience. After more than a week of illness and a frightening ultrasound, her beloved dog was back to feeling well, with one very memorable Halloween outfit to show for it.
Toledo, United States.