Greedy puppy gets more than he wished for

It seemed like just a normal walk in the park for six-month-old Jack Russell Terrier puppy Milo and his owner Debbie Bird (42) from Billesley, Birmingham. But things changed when Milo spotted a discarded chip wrapper and quickly gobbled up the contents before Debbie could stop him.

 

According to Debbie, Milo wasn’t his usual excitable self over the next few days. Gradually he became more withdrawn and lost his appetite. When he began being sick Debbie knew something was wrong and decided to act. 

 

Milo was admitted to PDSA Aston PetAid hospital where vets performed an endoscopy (a miniature camera inserted down the throat) to look for cause of the problem. The camera quickly located a wishbone from a cooked chicken, which had become firmly lodged.

 

PDSA Head Nurse, Julie Everill, who helped treat Milo, said: “Once we saw where the wishbone was we knew that Milo would need an operation to remove it – it was in such an awkward place we couldn’t just pull it out.”

 

Milo was rushed into the operating theatre where, over the course of two hours surgery, the veterinary team delicately removed the bone. 

 

Debbie said: “After hours of waiting, PDSA finally called to tell me Milo was OK. I just burst into tears with relief. Milo is such a big part of our family, the thought of losing him was unbearable.”

 

After a few days recovering at the PDSA hospital, Milo was allowed home. Debbie had to give him medicines night and day for the next two weeks to prevent long-lasting damage. 

 

Debbie continued: “We’re very careful not to give Milo any leftovers so he must have picked up the wish bone in the park. I’ll certainly be keeping a closer eye on him-especially around the Christmas turkey! I want to say how grateful I am to PDSA for saving Milo, the work they do is fantastic!”

 

PDSA Head Nurse, Julie, added: “Dogs eating items they shouldn’t is a common problem at this time of year. With all the presents, food and unusual sparkly decorations in the house, pets can easily be attracted to them. Situations like Milo’s show how important it is to train your dog to come when called and drop items.”

 

 

1.    Swallowing foreign bodies – accidents have included swallowing toys, and decorations

 

2.    Accidental poisoning through chocolate, raisins, artificial sweeteners, batteries

 

3.    Gastric torsion – twisted stomach often caused by vigorous exercise after a large meal

 

4.    Hypothermia – low body temperature from exposure to cold weather

 

5.    Accidental injury – pulling over the Christmas tree, slipping on ice, chewing on electric cables, treading on broken baubles

 

For more information on PDSA visit www.pdsa.org.uk.