Parents often encourage others to trust their instincts when they suspect something is wrong with their child, and according to a viral TikTok video, this applies to pets, too.
The video, captioned “Always trust your gut,” has racked up over 105,000 views. It shows clips of a golden retriever named Bobbi who began acting out of character by refusing to eat, drink or play.
Initially, the vet sent him home with a suspected viral or bacterial infection. However, his condition worsened overnight, and he began vomiting, so his owners sought a second opinion from a different animal clinic.
There, the vet immediately felt a hard lump in his intestine. While blood tests came back normal, an x-ray revealed a corn cob stuck in his small intestine. After emergency surgery, Bobbi had 20 stitches and was saved.
The text in the video says: “Bobbi probably wouldn’t have survived another night.” It lists the following symptoms the pup experienced:
- Extreme lethargy
- Drooling
- Inability to hold down food or water
- Refusing meals
- Vomiting
- Arched back
Joanne Fernandez-Lopez, a veterinarian with over 10 years of experience, told Newsweek that corn is safe for dogs in moderation when it’s off the cob.
“The symptoms shown in the video are quite accurate to what most would see if this happened with their dog. Any abdominal trouble would always warrant a basic x-ray,” she said.
The director of Veterinary Affairs at ABCs Puppy Zs, a small family breeder in Texas, explained that corn cob blockages happen accidentally when dogs grab leftover cobs from the trash or swipe them off tables.
“It’s essential to keep corn cobs out of their reach and dispose of them carefully,” she said.
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Newsweek also spoke to Thomas Dock, director of communications and public information officer at Noah’s Animal Hospitals in Indianapolis, who emphasized that many foods we consume can cause severe problems for pets and require emergency intervention.
Dock urged pet owners to be proactive, saying: “When I speak to clients, I always let them know that it’s better to spend the money on an examination by a veterinarian, only to find out everything is okay than to wait and discover that the situation has worsened.”
He also advised that the following foods should be kept out of reach of pets:
- Fatty foods (e.g., ham or poultry skin), which can lead to pancreatitis
- Grapes and raisins, which can cause kidney injury
- Foods seasoned with garlic or onion, which can disrupt red blood cells
- Cooked bones, which can cause tooth fractures or GI obstructions
- Chocolate (especially dark chocolate or cocoa powder), which can cause heart arrhythmias or neurological disorders.
TikTok Reacts
Hundreds of users have commented on the video to wish Bobbi a speedy recovery and share their tales.
“Omg for a moment my heart skipped a beat, I thought the worse of the worse. Bobbi we are with you cuddly boy!” one TikToker commented.
“When I saw him frog leg in the yard I just KNEW it was an obstruction. Thank you for trusting yourselves and getting a second opinion! You literally saved his life,” said another user.
A third commenter wrote: “Glad he is ok. We had the exact same thing happening with our German shepherd and he went through emergency surgery and pulled out a corn cob. He is totally fine now but it was a scary experience.”
Newsweek reached out to @dittawiggles for comment via email. We could not verify the details of the case.
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