Inhaled A Battery

A reader sent in this question.

I have a dog that has a hearing aid battery stuck in his trachea and I have an xray to prove it. The vet we took him to didn't know what to do to help him. We have to call around to find a vet that has a endoscopy. Do you have any suggestions of things we might do to help him before we find a vet that can help us. 

Deborah, this is a potentially serious situation.  It would be nice to know where exactly in the trachea the battery is located, and whether it is fully lodged there.  If it moves further down into the lungs it could lodge in a very small airway and need risky, complicated, and specialized surgery on his lungs to remove it.  Most areas now have specialists with endoscopes, and your vet should know of one.  Many emergency clinics also have endoscopes.  There really isn't anything you can do in the meantime to make him more comfortable or help dislodge the battery.  I would urge you to seek aid and don't delay, or you could have a much more serious problem on your hands.