A WORCESTER vet is urging owners to keep leftovers out of the reach of pets after saving the life of a puppy that ate tin foil.
Border Collie Daisie was just 12 weeks old when she became seriously ill with a high temperature, accelerated heartbeat and vomiting and was rushed to Severn Veterinary Centre’s Tybridge surgery in St John’s, Worcester, by her worried owner.
Daisie was so poorly she was transferred to Severn Vets’ Worcester Veterinary Hospital in Warndon Villages, where she was given painkillers and medication to stabilise her while tests were carried out to discover what was making her so ill.
After ruling out common conditions affecting puppies, such as parvo virus, an ultrasound scan identified a problem in her intestine and Daisie was immediately taken into surgery.
Vet Cian O’Connell said Daisie was suffering from intussusception, where the intestine folds in on itself, causing a dangerous blockage that prevents food travelling through the digestive system.
Cian said: “An intussusception is where one part of the intestine slides into another part – like a sock folding in on itself – and Daisie’s case was very serious. She had two intussusceptions and one was particularly severe because it involved around 30cm of her intestine.
“It is very painful and can be fatal if not caught early enough, but luckily Daisie’s owner brought her to us as soon as she noticed her pet was ill and we were able to diagnose the problem quickly.
“In some cases, the affected part of the intestine needs to be removed, but luckily this wasn’t necessary in Daisie’s case, and I was able to carefully free the trapped tissue and straighten out the intestine.”
While operating on Daisie, Cian noticed some specks of silver in her intestine.
He said: “I removed some pieces of tin foil from Daisie’s gut, and it’s very likely this is what triggered her illness as a foreign body is one of the most common causes of an intussusception
“It’s really important to prevent dogs stealing food from bins or off kitchen surfaces or the dinner table because as well as causing irritations in the gut, many human foods are poisonous to them or can cause them to choke or form a blockage.”
Daisie was given medication to encourage her gut to start working properly again but, because the tissue in the intestine is highly sensitive, intussusceptions commonly recur and a few days later she showed signs of being unwell again.
After returning to Worcester Veterinary Hospital for a second surgery, performed by Cian’s colleague Alison Foster, Daisie has recovered well and gone from strength to strength.
She is now back at home with her owner Megan Brooks of Dines Green, Worcester, who has vowed to keep any leftovers well out of reach of in future.
Megan said: “We’d had roast pork for Sunday lunch and I left the bin out, which is something I never usually do, and Daisie put her head in and pulled out a piece of tin foil that had covered the joint. I took it away as soon as I saw her licking it but didn’t realise she’d swallowed some. It was only a small piece and it’s scary how much damage it caused.
“Daisie was so poorly and the team at Severn Vets was brilliant. They gave her the very best care and were very kind to me when I was so worried about her, clearly explaining what treatment she needed and keeping me up to date with her progress.
“It was a big decision to go through with the surgery because I’d only had Daisie for a week when she became poorly, but she’s quickly become part of the family and I would be lost without her.
“She’s such a happy dog and loves everyone and when we’ve been back to Severn Vets for check-ups she loves to say hello to all the team. She wouldn’t be here without their amazing vets and nurses and I can’t thank them enough.”
