An 18 month old Holstein was presented to Cornell for suspected hardware disease. During physical examination, the patient exhibited signs of right-sided heart insufficiency. Ultrasonography confirmed pericardial effusion, pleural effusion and peritonitis while radiography confirmed a thoracic migrating foreign body and intrathoracic abscesses. Following thoracotomy and 5th rib resection, the pericardial sac was drained, lavaged, and marsupialized to the thoracic body wall. No foeign body was found surgically. Post-operative radiographs revealed a persistent foreign body and intrathoracic abscesses. A second thoracotomy with 6th rib resection was successful in locating and draining the visualized abscesses and retrieving the linear foreign body. The patient was discharged into the care of her owner with instructions on proper management and lavage of the surgical site.