Sometimes the veterinarian may suspect that your pet has eaten something which is creating a blockage in their intestines. An intestinal obstruction is a life threatening condition. To determine if an animal may have an intestinal obstruction, the pet is orally given a special radio-opaque dye called barium. When sequential x-rays are taken, the barium can be visualized as white areas on the screen and can be seen moving from the stomach and through the intestines as digestive peristalsis occurs. If an obstruction is present, the barium may stop moving or the object creating the obstruction will be better visualized as barium surrounds it.

Below are two x-rays, taken with some time between them. The barium can be seen moving through the intestines and eventually reaches the colon at the end.  In this case, an enema and medical management were used to relieve this dog's discomfort.