Sausage-loving dog with swollen stomach saved by surgery

A sausage-loving dog needed life-saving surgery after a banger binge. Jake, a seven-year-old Weimaraner, was rushed for treatment after wolfing down so many of the meaty treats his owner said his stomach swelled like a puffer fish. During the operation, vets found four sausages in his stomach meaning the hungry hound had bolted the bangers down whole. He is now recovering at home in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, after surviving the potentially fatal stomach condition. His owner, who did not want to be named, said: “Jake is a big, energetic dog with a huge appetite - he will eat anything although he particularly loves sausages, which he’s allowed as a treat now and then.



“One day I noticed he was unusually quiet, then he was sick and had diarrhoea. His chest and stomach became massively swollen – he was like a puffer fish”. The worried owner called the PDSA charity and was told to take him straight into their Gateshead Pet Hospital where vets confirmed Jake was suffering from a potentially deadly condition called Gastric Dilation, which happens when the stomach twists, causing a dangerous build-up of gasses which can prove fatal within hours. He was taken in for emergency surgery and, after a few tense hours, the family were relieved to hear the operation had been a success.

“I was convinced we were going to lose him, so to hear he had pulled through was amazing – although I knew he wasn’t out of the woods yet,” said Jake's happy owner. “The vets found a lot of dog food in his stomach as well as four whole sausages, which they think was the likely cause of his problem. We knew he loved sausages but had no idea he was literally swallowing them whole. We’ll definitely be cutting his food into smaller pieces from now on, to help him eat more slowly. It’s fantastic that PDSA is here to help, I’m very grateful for everything they’ve done for Jake – they saved his life.”



Jake went home the next day and, after plenty of rest, thankfully made a full recovery. PDSA Vet Nurse Cheryl Nash explained: “Jake’s condition was incredibly serious – just another few hours and its likely he wouldn’t have made it. Gastric dilation, also known as a twisted stomach, can occur when dogs eat so fast that they take in air with their food, particularly if they exercise vigorously straight afterwards. Deep-chested dogs, such as Weimaraners and Great Danes, are more at risk of the condition. If you have a deep-chested breed, or your dog has a tendency to wolf down food in seconds, there are bowls specially designed to help slow them down a bit at meal times.”