A LOVEABLE Labrador has twice undergone life-saving surgery at a Greater Manchester vet practice after biting off more than he could chew.
Just a year after needing surgery when he ate five sharp slate stones, Ernie returned to Tameside Veterinary Clinic in Droylsden after swallowing a radiator cap.
Thanks to the skill, care and expertise of the veterinary team, the two-year-old has made a full recovery. His owner Stephanie Peddle has now joined Tameside Vets in urging others to seek veterinary advice swiftly if they suspect their pet has eaten anything suspicious as foreign bodies can cause potentially life-threatening obstructions.
Symptoms include sickness, diarrhoea, straining to defecate, abdominal pain or tenderness, lack of appetite and tiredness.
Stephanie, who lives near Stalybridge, took Ernie to the practice, which is part of VetPartners, after he pounced on the radiator cap when it was placed on the floor while a heating engineer was working at the house.
An X-ray revealed a build-up of gas in his intestines, signalling a likely blockage. The veterinary team tried to remove the cap using an endoscope – a flexible tube inserted into the mouth and stomach to pull out foreign material without surgery – but Ernie’s stomach only contained fluid, meaning surgery was unavoidable.
Vet Tom Maxwell, who surgically removed the stones from Ernie’s stomach in September 2023, carried out the intricate operation of opening his abdomen and located the offending object in his large intestine.
He was then able to push it gently along the colon, effectively milking it out and avoiding having to perform a further incision.
Tom said: “There was also some green hard plastic and a chocolate wrapper as well! Ernie was very lucky. Foreign bodies can cause a blockage and cause pets to vomit and get dehydrated.
“If there for too long, it can prevent blood supply to the tissue which can make the pet very sick. In those instances, we have to remove sections of damaged intestine which is a riskier surgery and can take longer to heal.”
Stephanie paid tribute to the veterinary team and said Ernie had recovered well.
She said: “Ernie was lucky because the vets responded very quickly both times and got him into surgery. Last year I didn’t realise he had been picking up ornamental stones from the garden, but he suddenly started vomiting and was very lethargic. I took him to Tameside Vets who discovered he had swallowed five sharp stones, and he was in surgery within an hour.
“I couldn’t believe it when, a year later, a heating engineer was here and Ernie, quick as a flash, grabbed a radiator cap off the floor and swallowed it. He has a lovely nature, but Labradors are renowned for swallowing things, and I have to watch him constantly.
“I would advise anyone whose pet gets symptoms such as vomiting and lethargy to get them checked out straight away because you never know what is causing it.”
Article by Nadia Jefferson-Brown, PR and Communications Manager (North)
Email: nadia.jeffersonbrown@vetpartners.co.uk