Establishment of correlation and examination systematics between clinical, laboratory, ultrasoundographic and radiological examination findings of patients with suspected gastrointestinal low-radiopacity foreign body in cats and dogs

Foreign body ingestion is a commonly encountered clinical problem in veterinary practice, with clinical presentations varying depending on the location, severity, and duration of the obstruction caused by the ingested material. While radiopaque foreign bodies are easily detected using conventional radiographic techniques, diagnosing low-radiopacity foreign bodies is particularly challenging due to the presence of other gastrointestinal diseases that can produce similar clinical signs. This highlights the necessity of a multimodal diagnostic approach.This study aimed to comparatively evaluate the diagnostic value and superiority of clinical examination, laboratory tests, radiography, ultrasonography, and computed tomography (CT) findings in 20 cats and 20 dogs suspected of ingesting low-radiopacity foreign bodies. Additionally, correlations between anamnesis, clinical signs, and diagnostic findings were assessed to develop a systematic examination strategy to improve diagnostic accuracy.The results revealed that CT provided the highest diagnostic performance, with 77% accuracy in cats and 80% in dogs. Ultrasonography directly detected the presence of foreign bodies in 54% of the cases and offered valuable information in identifying concurrent conditions such as ileus. Despite its lower overall accuracy of 40%, radiographic evaluation provided important diagnostic clues by measuring intestinal dilation ratios. Comprehensive physical examination was emphasized as an indispensable step in the clinical assessment process.In conclusion, the integration of physical examination, laboratory analysis, radiography, ultrasonography, and computed tomography significantly improves the diagnostic success rate for identifying low-radiopacity gastrointestinal foreign bodies, underscoring the critical role of a multidisciplinary diagnostic approach in clinical decision-making.