Clean bill of health given to silly Shih Tzu who swallowed whole kitchen scourer

A little dog from Jarrow, South Tyneside, owes his life to charity vets after swallowing a whole kitchen sponge ... complete with scouring pad. Alfie the Shih Tzu had to have emergency treatment after eating his foamy snack and has now made a full recovery. The 20-month old pet was keeping his owner Maria Bird company as she cleaned the bathroom when he swiped a clean sponge from the packet and swallowed it whole.



The dog didn’t even flinch after his unusual meal, but 53-year-old Maria knew that Alfie’s naughty niblbing could cause him some serious harm. She said: “Alfie has always been a mischief-maker but I was astounded when he wolfed down the sponge in one go. He seemed absolutely fine but I knew he could be in deep trouble. I rushed him straight to PDSA where vets checked him over.” Maria, who has had Alfie since he was a puppy, and her daughter Jade took Alfie to the PDSA’s Gateshead Pet Hospital

Vets immediately administered emergency treatment to make Alfie sick and avoid him having to undergo surgery. Vet Nurse Caroline Watson said: “We gave Alfie an injection to make him sick and thankfully, the medicine worked its magic quickly. Thanks to the speedy actions of Maria, Alfie avoided a far worse fate, as when pets swallow foreign bodies, they can cause tears or fatal blockages in the digestive system. We were amazed that such a small dog managed to swallow a sponge of that size.



“It can’t have been very pleasant going down or coming back up again.” Alfie gave his owners a shock as he doesn’t usually eat things he shouldn’t, and they will be watching him closely from now on. Alfie returned home shortly after his ordeal and returned to his usual self. Maria said: “I am so grateful to PDSA for their fast action and help with Alfie. We are keeping a close eye on him to make sure he doesn’t snaffle any other spongy treats again.”