A Teesside couple's puppy bit off
more than it could chew when it swallowed a 26in (66cm) metal chain. Nine-month-old Staffordshire bull terrier Buster had to have emergency
surgery after munching on his own lead. Owner Jackie Stephenson and her partner Des Connor, from Middlesbrough, were
shocked to discover Buster had playfully taken the chain from a table.
Vets at the town's PDSA surgery successfully removed the chain from Buster's
stomach. He is now recovering. Ms Stephenson, 38, said: "I was in bed ill at the time, when Des came running
upstairs and told me that Buster had swallowed his lead, which is a metal chain
measuring over 2ft. At first I didn't believe it. I ran around turning the house upside down
looking for the chain.
"I didn't think there was any way that he could do that. Plus he's always
been such a good puppy and never tried to eat anything before." Mr Connor said he had been on the phone when Buster reached up and took his
lead. By the time I caught up with Buster I saw the end of the chain slip down his
throat," he added.
Although the dog did not show signs of illness, the couple took him to
Middlesbrough's PDSA PetAid hospital. PDSA veterinary surgeon, Mary Tonge, said: "We examined Buster's stomach and
couldn't feel anything unusual. It wasn't until we X-rayed him that we saw the
true picture. He must have swallowed the chain in one go. It was just lying in his stomach
and luckily hadn't passed into his intestines, which would have been potentially
deadly."
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