Little Dog Swallows BIG Arrow

Submitted by K9 Magazine News Editor on August 4, 2009 – 1:39 pm


PDSA vets saved the life of a Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy who
swallowed a full-length plastic arrow, measuring 10.5 inches, almost as
long as the puppy herself!
Betty had a ‘ruff’ time after undergoing emergency
surgery at Thamesmead PDSA PetAid hospital to remove the arrow which
had lodged halfway through her body from the oesophagus to the small
intestine.
Owner Emma Watson (38) from Swanley in Kent believes it happened
when she saw Betty disappear into her daughter’s playhouse one
day. She heard coughing and spluttering and rushed in but saw nothing
untoward. Betty came out and ate and drank as normal that day.

It was on the following day that she started to become seriously
ill. “Betty started to vomit and wasn’t eating or drinking,
which is totally unlike her. Normally she is very boisterous and
playful but she was very quiet and didn’t want to be around
anyone, not even my daughter Lilly Jay, (9). said Emma.
After two days when Betty nearly collapsed, she was taken to
Thamesmead PDSA PetAid hospital where vets got straight to work. They
realised that Betty had swallowed something as they could feel an
object lodged in her intestine! She was x-rayed to locate the exact
positioning and to check for any other problems.
Veterinary Surgeon Chris Pollard, who operated on Betty, said:
“The x-rays were surprising to say the least. The arrow was so
long it virtually ran through Betty’s body but it also explained
why she was so ill. The main concern was the length of the arrow and
where it ended – in the small intestine. This could have
penetrated the stomach wall and proved fatal. We had to operate
immediately.”
Betty remained in theatre for over an hour.
“The operation proved incredibly intricate as Betty was so
young and her internal organs were still not yet fully developed. We
opened up the abdomen and made an incision in the stomach to pull the
arrow out with great care. Considering Betty’s size as a puppy,
it really is amazing that she managed to swallow a 10.5 inch long
arrow!”
Betty was kept in overnight by PDSA to monitor her progress. She was
fed tiny portions of food and water to ensure the stitches did not come
apart and by the following morning appeared to have fully recovered
when staff discovered she had chewed through her IV line!
Emma continued said: “I simply can’t believe what Betty
did. She was so small and the arrow so long; I’m amazed that it
was physically possible for her to swallow it. She doesn’t appear
to have learnt her lesson because as soon she got home she tried to eat
the TV remote control so we’re keeping a very close eye on her
now to prevent anything like this from happening again.”
Vet Chris Pollard adds: “We see many accidents like
Betty’s easily happen especially in younger animals because
they’re so inquisitive. The best overall advice is prevention so
pet owners should identify and eliminate any potential dangers in their
homes.”

For further information visit the PDSA website www.pdsa.org.uk.

Ouch :2431:

BLOODY HELL.... :2431:

OMG Unbelievable :san41: What a lucky little dog to have pulled thru