3-year-old Husky crossbreed, Sam, found himself being rushed to Animal Trust Shrewsbury for emergency care after he ate an entire soft toy.
Sam’s owner, Emily Ash, acted fast when she realised that her dog Sam had swallowed the toy whole. Emily who has been a client with Sam at the Shrewsbury surgery for almost two years says; ‘’Straight away I knew what had happened and I called the surgery in panic. They were so quick to react and told us to come straight down for an emergency appointment.’’
On arrival at the surgery, Sam was taken directly into a free consultation with a vet who acted quickly to induce vomiting. 10 minutes later, the whole dog toy was retrieved and Sam was able to return home to recover.
Commenting on the case, a senior vet at Animal Trust Shrewsbury says; ‘’Sam is lucky that his owner was at home and knew exactly what had happened — in some cases other animals may not be as lucky and had Sam not got the urgent veterinary care he needed his condition would have quickly worsened and may have resulted in surgery being needed.’’
The team at Animal Trust Shrewsbury is now urging pet owners to take care when leaving pets alone with toys. ‘’It’s great for dogs to be given toys to play with as they help to relieve boredom and provides them with mental stimulation’’ comments the senior vet at the Shrewsbury surgery.
‘’Some owners will be more confident leaving their pets with toys while they aren’t supervised, but for smaller animals, e.g. a new puppy it’s easy for them to pull apart toys. Lots of toys also contain hazards — including; squeaks or smaller pieces of plastic that if digested can impact adversely on an animals health’’ adds the Vet.
The key signs that a pet may have digested a foreign body include;
- Vomiting, especially when continuous
- Loss of appetite
- Dehydration
- Lethargy
More urgent signs include; a bloated tummy and fever. If an owner is suspicious that their pet may have ingested a foreign body, such as a full or partial toy they should contact their nearest Animal Trust surgery right away.
Commenting on Sam’s scare, owner Emily said; ‘’I’m so thankful that Sam’s situation was short-lived and we were able to go back home very shortly after. The team at the surgery who looked after Sam where fantastic and I can’t thank them enough for how quickly they acted to help him.’’
Animal Trust Shrewsbury, like all surgeries, provides free consultations to every client. We welcome owners and their pets to register and join our community — and there is no eligibility criteria to meet. The surgery operates 7 days a week and provides 24/7 inpatient care. If you notice that your pet is unwell or begins to show any unusual signs book a free consultation at your local Animal Trust surgery.
