A DOG owner has echoed a vet practice’s warning for others to swiftly seek veterinary advice if they suspect their pet has eaten anything suspicious.
It comes after a Labrador has twice undergone life-saving surgery after biting off more than he could chew.
Just a year after requiring surgery when he ate five sharp slate stones, Ernie returned to Tameside Veterinary Clinic in Droylsden after swallowing a radiator cap.
The two-year-old has, thankfully, made a full recovery, however his owner Stephanie Peddle has joined Tameside Vets in urging others to take action as foreign bodies can cause potentially life-threatening obstructions.
Symptoms include diarrhoea, sickness, straining to defecate, abdominal pain or tenderness, lack of appetite and tiredness.
Stephanie, who lives near Stalybridge, took Ernie to the practice after he pounced on the radiator cap when it was placed on the floor while a heating engineer was working at the house.
Ernie’s abdomen was tender and an X-ray revealed a build-up of gas in his intestines, signalling a blockage was likely.
The veterinary team tried to remove the cap using an endoscope – a flexible tube inserted into the mouth and stomach to pull out foreign material without surgery – but Ernie’s stomach only contained fluid, meaning surgery was unavoidable.
Vet Tom Maxwell, who surgically removed the stones from Ernie’s stomach in September 2023, carried out the operation of opening his abdomen and found the object in his large intestine. He was able to push it gently along the colon, avoiding having to perform a further incision.
“There was also some green hard plastic and a chocolate wrapper as well,” said Tom.
“Ernie was very lucky. Foreign bodies can cause a blockage and cause pets to vomit and get dehydrated. If there for too long, it can prevent blood supply to the tissue which can make the pet very sick.
“In those instances, we have to remove sections of damaged intestine, which is a riskier surgery and can take longer to heal.”
Stephanie confirmed that Ernie has recovered well and paid tribute to the veterinary team.
“Ernie was lucky because the vets responded very quickly both times and got him into surgery,” she said.
“Last year, I didn’t realise he had been picking up ornamental stones from the garden, but he suddenly started vomiting and was very lethargic.
“I took him to Tameside Vets who discovered he had swallowed five sharp stones, and he was in surgery within an hour.
“I couldn’t believe it when, a year later, a heating engineer was here and Ernie, quick as a flash, grabbed a radiator cap off the floor and swallowed it. He has a lovely nature but Labradors are renowned for swallowing things, and I have to watch him constantly.
“I would advise anyone whose pet gets symptoms such as vomiting and lethargy to get them checked out straight away because you never know what is causing it.”