A Leeds veterinarians is alerting dog owners to be more alert after a much-loved family animal required life-saving surgical treatment after he swallowed 2 balls.
Gus, an 11-month-old crossbreed, went through a life-saving operation after he had actually handled to break 2 balls while playing in the garden and swallowed them both. Thankfully, his quick-thinking owner hurried him to Beechwood Vets in Seacroft where the practice handled to eliminate the toys avoiding them triggering a harmful clog which might have shown deadly.
Veterinary cosmetic surgeon, Dr James Tate, was advised to carry out a fragile operation to surgically eliminate the balls through a single cut in Gus’ stomach due to their place – which suggested it wasn’t possible to recover the balls by endoscopy – a treatment which enables a veterinarian to place a versatile tube through a family pet’s mouth.
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Gus was the good news is able to return home the very same day thanks to the abilities and know-how of the Beechwood veterinary group – the treatment was life-saving.
Dr Tate applauded the fast actions of owner, Laura Westbrooke, for taking Gus to the veterinarians quickly as she understood what he had actually done. He is now advising owners to be careful about the size of toys they provide their animals, and to call their veterinarian if they fear their dog might have swallowed a foreign item.
Dr Tate said: “Toys are very important to a dog’s health and wellbeing as they stop them ending up being tired or nervous and motivate them to work out. But it is very important to watch on dogs when they are playing and likewise to examine the toy is the best size for them so they can’t choke or swallow it. Throw away any harmed 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 actually applauded the veterinary group for possibly conserving their family 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 better half Laura at my sibling’s house and was having fun with her Toy Poodle.
“His toys are softer than the ones we have. Gus has the greatest mouth, and we don’t have balls at our house for this precise factor. If he acquires a tennis ball, he will break it and not let go however he is not generally susceptible to swallowing things.
“My better half took him to Beechwood Vets quickly and they got him instantly. They did an endoscopy very first however since the balls were soft and rubbery, they were slippery and there was no opportunity of that working.
“We were worried that the balls were the kind that would pop back up to their typical shape, so he had a truly lucky escape.
“Beechwood Vets were fantastic; they constantly have actually been. We have 2 cats signed up with them, and with all our animals they constantly accommodate us if there’s an emergency situation. Everyone we handled, prior to and after Gus’s surgical treatment, was great and we understood he remained 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.”
