A playful pup almost lost his life after swallowing two plastic balls which lodged in his stomach. Gus, an 11-month-old crossbreed, needed life-saving surgery after downing the balls which had burst while he played with them in the garden.
His quick-thinking owner rushed him to Beechwood Vets at Temple House in Seacroft where he underwent an operation to remove the toys to prevent them causing a dangerous blockage that could have proved fatal. Due to their location in his stomach and slippery texture, it wasn’t possible to retrieve the balls by endoscopy – a procedure which allows a vet to insert a flexible tube through a pet’s mouth and into their stomach to help remove a foreign body with specialist tools.
Instead, Veterinary surgeon Dr James Tate instead carried out the delicate operation to surgically remove the balls through a single incision in Gus’ stomach. Thanks to the skills and expertise of the Beechwood veterinary team, Gus was back at home the same day, and has now bounced back to his lively self.
But the Leeds veterinary practice is now urging dog owners to be extra vigilant to prevent the same happening to other pets. Dr Tate praised the quick actions of owner, Laura Westbrooke, for taking Gus to Temple House as soon as she realised what he had done.
He is now urging owners to be cautious about the size of toys they give their pets, and to contact their vet if they fear their dog may have swallowed a foreign object.
Dr Tate said: “Toys are important to a dog’s wellbeing as they stop them becoming bored or anxious and encourage them to exercise. But it is important to keep an eye on dogs when they are playing and also to check the toy is the right size for them so they can’t choke or swallow it. Throw away any damaged toys so your dog can't break off bits and swallow them.
“Gus was extremely lucky that his owner saw what happened and quickly got him to us for treatment, and we’re delighted to see he has made a full recovery.”
Owners Laura and John Westbrooke have praised the veterinary team for potentially saving their pet’s life. John said: “Gus is a crossbreed with the energy of a Border Collie, the love of a Staffie and a Labrador’s greed. He was with my wife Laura at my sister’s house and was playing with her Toy Poodle.
“His toys are softer than the ones we have. Gus has the biggest mouth, and we don’t have balls at our house for this exact reason. If he gets hold of a tennis ball, he will break it and not let go but he is not usually prone to swallowing things.
“My wife took him to Beechwood Vets straight away and they got him immediately. They did an endoscopy first but because the balls were soft and rubbery, they were slippery and there was no chance of that working.
“We were concerned that the balls were the kind that would pop back up to their usual shape, so he had a really lucky escape.
“Beechwood Vets were brilliant; they always have been. We have two cats registered with them, and with all our pets they always accommodate us if there’s an emergency. Everyone we dealt with, before and after Gus’s surgery, was fantastic and we knew he was in good hands.
“He came out feeling sorry for himself for the next couple of days. He had an eight-inch scar down his stomach, but he is completely fine and back to his usual self.”
