Cocker spaniel Bobby needed emergency surgery at Vets Now Doncaster
A cocker spaniel needed life-saving surgery – after he swallowed an 18cm chicken kebab skewer.
Mischief-maker Bobby, aged 10, nearly died when the wooden skewer got wedged in his tummy and punctured his stomach lining.
Owner Julie Sykes saw the spike-like skewer disappear down Bobby’s throat when he grabbed it from her son Harvey as the family celebrated Harvey’s 11th birthday with a take-away dinner.
Unsurprisingly, Bobby quickly became uncomfortable and reluctant to sit down, requiring an emergency appointment at the pet emergency clinic in Doncaster.
After examining Bobby thoroughly and discussing his options with Julie, our senior vet advised that surgery would be the best option to remove the skewer.
Then, with Bobby anaesthetised, she opened his stomach and immediately discovered that the skewer had perforated it – causing his abdomen to become badly inflamed.
Thankfully, she was able to carefully prise out the skewer in one piece before it could do any more damage.
Bobby’s incision was closed, and he was monitored closely for the rest of night.
The next morning Bobby was well enough to be transferred to Julie’s daytime vets, where he continued to recover from his ordeal over the next four days.
Happily, he’s now back to his normal self: constantly following Julie around the house, rolling in things he shouldn’t roll in and trying to pinch carrots from the kitchen.
“The skewer was very long and sharp – and it was only a few millimetres away from causing Bobby more serious and potentially fatal damage,” said district vet Jacqui Seymour.
“But, thankfully, our experienced vet was able to remove it quite quickly and treat the inflammation to his abdomen. We’re all so pleased he’s made a full recovery.”
Julie said: “The team at Vets Now saved Bobby’s life – and they looked after me as well, which was really kind of them.
“As a pet owner in that situation you just want to know that your pet is in the safest hands – and that was definitely the case.
“Bobby is a huge part of our life and I dread to think what it would have been like if we’d lost him.”
All of Vets Now’s premises always have a vet and vet nurse on site.
We also offer an online video consultation service to make professional veterinary advice more easily available.
While the video service is not suitable for life-threatening emergencies, like Bobby’s, our experienced vets are available to discuss any worries or concerns you might have.
If your pet needs an in-person follow-up appointment at any vet practice, Vets Now will refund the online consultation fee, so you never pay twice.