A snake that swallowed three golf balls had them manually removed while heavily sedated at South Texas Avian & Exotic Hospital in San Antonio, Texas, according to reports about a video the hospital posted on September 22, 2026. The procedure reportedly avoided surgery, but coverage does not identify the snake’s species or provide its longer-term outcome.
What happened to the snake?
The Independent reported on September 24, 2026, that the hospital’s video showed veterinarians manually removing three golf balls from the heavily sedated snake. NDTV reported the same basic account on September 27. Neither report names the clinician who performed the procedure.
The hospital described the case as: “This was definitely a memorable case!” The quote was attributed to the hospital, not to a named veterinarian.
What is known about the snake?
The reports do not state the snake’s species, name, sex, or age. They also do not describe how long the golf balls had been lodged, where they were located before removal, whether complications occurred, or how the snake was doing afterward. The available account supports saying that surgery was reportedly avoided; it does not establish a long-term recovery.
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Does this mean golf balls can usually be removed without surgery?
No. A 2021 case series in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association describes four wild adult rat snakes that had ingested golf balls or an artificial egg. These were different patients and do not identify the species or outcome in the 2026 report.
In that series, one golf ball was removed through the mouth without complications. In three other cases, attempts to advance the object caused full-thickness skin rupture in the neck. One procedure was completed with a balloon catheter, while two were converted to esophagotomy. Three snakes recovered and were released; one died after prolonged impaction and esophageal perforation. The authors concluded that the nonsurgical techniques used in those cases were associated with substantial complications in three of four patients and did not appear more beneficial than traditional gastrotomy.
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The 2026 news account does not provide enough clinical detail to compare the patients’ condition, object location, treatment decisions, or complications. Manual removal in one reported case is not evidence that the approach is generally safe or that surgery can usually be avoided. Decisions about an animal that has swallowed a foreign object require veterinary assessment; this report is not a guide to attempting removal.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A separate dog case also involved three golf balls
In 2013, ITV reported on Azar, a Doberman that swallowed three golf balls. An X-ray showed two had moved into the small intestine, and the dog survived after surgery at a PDSA hospital in Coventry. That was a separate canine case—not the San Antonio snake—and its surgical treatment should not be confused with the snake’s reported procedure.
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