Op saves life of pup who ate corn skewer

Chubb, a six-month-old collie, was eating a plate of leftovers when his owner, Yvonne Crawley, noticed the three-inch metal skewer.

Ms Crawley, from Glasgow, said: “Chubb is a very greedy dog – he wolfs down his food and rarely takes the time even to chew. He was so fast I couldn’t reach him in time to stop him swallowing the remains of the corn-on-the-cob together with the skewer.”

Ms Crawley, who was celebrating her 40th birthday at the barbecue, said she immediately phoned the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) for advice and was told to take the dog to the PetAid hospital in Shamrock Street, where vets were “amazed” at his X-ray results.

Siobhan Casey, a PDSA veterinary surgeon, said: “The X-ray clearly showed the skewer lodged in Chubb’s stomach but luckily it hadn’t caused any damage yet.

“We operated immediately to remove the skewer, which if left could have perforated his stomach, causing potentially fatal peritonitis.

“Chubb was in the operating theatre for one-and-a-half hours and, thankfully, the operation was a success.

“We often see cases where dogs have swallowed strange items, but something as sharp as this could have caused some serious internal damage.”

Ms Crawley said: “The care Chubb received from PDSA couldn’t have been better. Not only did they save his life, they reassured me and explained everything clearly throughout the ordeal.

“Chubb very quickly returned to his old self after his operation. In fact, we found it difficult to make him rest to protect his stitches.”