Submitted by K9 Magazine News Editor on August 18, 2009 – 10:29 amNo Comment

Vets at Huyton PDSA PetAid hospital in Liverpool had to act quickly when
Harvey, a six-month old Shar-pei, was brought in vomiting and in
obvious pain. It took a dramatic life-saving operation to find and
remove a cocktail stick, which was poking out of his intestines causing
potentially fatal peritonitis.
PDSA Senior Veterinary Surgeon, Chris Symonds, said: “Harvey
is lucky to be alive. He was seriously ill and could have died at any
time. The initial x-rays didn’t show anything but I was
suspicious because his abdomen was so tender.

“As we couldn’t see much detail, I suspected that it
could be filled with fluid, so we decided to carry out an emergency
operation. It was only then that the true extent of his condition was
discovered. His intestine had been pierced by a cocktail stick!
“This lead to Harvey’s abdomen becoming infected and
producing the fluid we had noticed on his x-ray. This peritonitis had
also caused his intestines to stick together. As well as removing the
wooden stick, his whole abdomen had to be flushed out to get rid of
this very serious infection.”
Harvey remained in a critical condition following surgery but,
amazingly, the next day he had recovered enough to be sent home.
However, he could have relapsed at any time so he had to return to the
hospital to monitor his progress.
Chris continued: “Dogs swallowing foreign bodies is fairly
commonplace but can be very serious, especially when the object pierces
the intestines.”
Harvey’s owner, Mrs Alice Carr, said: “I can’t
thank PDSA enough. Harvey started being sick a couple of days earlier
but I didn’t think it was anything to worry about at first. Once
I realised he was in pain I took him straight away to PDSA who said
that he was critically ill.
“I don’t know how Harvey managed to eat a cocktail stick
as I live alone and don’t have parties! All I can think is that
he might have picked it up at my daughter’s house where I take
him to play with her dog, Jo.
“I am so happy he’s pulled through. Harvey is such a
lovely dog and is going from strength to strength now. Everyone at
Huyton PetAid hospital has been so wonderful.” www.pdsa.org.uk.

He is a lucky boy, glad he made it through, my friends dog died from eating a peach stone, he didn't get it from her house, he must of swallowed it on a walk.

they a bloody nightmare arent they?? Shades is always picking stuff up, in the house, on a walk, i need eyes in my arse

Ellie boops is the same, always something in her gob

paddy ate a peach stone once but was really ill and threw it up thank f**k!!!

glad the lad made it through bloody shar-pei's lol

:2445: mick from dog borstal said shar-pei's have a brain the size of an under developed pea

lol i saw that too karen :2431: ....

the dog is lucky he was caught in time... freds always picking stuff up too... i remember when he was little he ran off under the trampoline with broken glass in his mouth...

bloody dogs, you need eyes in your arse

:san42: :san42: :san42:

yea i saw that DB too lol altho dilly has brains maybe cos hes a cross tho lol