Vaginal foreign body in a bitch: Clinical management and review of the literature

A 5‐year‐old, spayed, mixed‐breed bitch was presented with lethargy, inappetence and vulvar licking. Clinical examination revealed marked perineal and vulvar swelling, as well as a pronounced pain response to vulvar palpation. Vaginal examination using a speculum revealed hyperaemic vaginal mucosa, with small abrasions and a grass awn foreign body located in the most caudal portion of the vagina, at the transition to the vestibule. The foreign body was successfully extracted using forceps. Following removal of the foreign body, clinical signs rapidly improved, and the bitch made a full recovery. Vaginal speculum examination can be a useful diagnostic tool for visualising foreign bodies located in the caudal part of the vagina. Extraction of a caudally located foreign body using forceps represents a simple, rapid and cost‐effective treatment option. In this case, the absence of systemic illness at presentation supported the decision to withhold antimicrobial therapy following complete removal of the foreign body despite the presence of bacteria on vaginal culture. Vaginal culture results should be interpreted alongside cytology and clinical findings.