A PUPPY from Teesside had a lucky escape after undergoing major surgery to remove a dressing gown belt he had swallowed.
The seven-month-old cockerpoo, called Larry, had managed to eat the belt without his owners realising.
He was rushed to White Cross Vets, on West Dyke Road Retail Park in Redcar, after he started vomiting, lost his appetite and did not want to go for walks.
An abdominal examination revealed a painful and grossly thickened gastrointestinal tract.
White Cross Vets carried out an abdominal x-ray and ultrasound which showed an unusual, soft looking object, suggesting he had swallowed a foreign body. To make matters worse, there was also an intussusception, where a segment of intestine ‘telescopes’ inside another section, causing a severe blockage.
Clinical director Louisa Graham said: “It quickly became clear that Larry was in a very bad way. His bowel had severely intussuscepted causing reduced blood flow and the object had become twisted in his intestines.
"We had to untangle and straighten everything out, which is risky because intestines are very delicate and if they start leaking it can cause all types of problems.
“After the extensive operation, we stitched him back up before trying to work out exactly what is was that he’d swallowed. We were all absolutely stunned when we realised that what we had removed was a dressing gown belt that was about a metre long!
"There’s no doubt Larry had a lucky escape and thankfully he’s now making a great recovery.”
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