Dog survives near-fatal encounter with Homer Simpson

A pet dog needed life-saving emergency surgery - after swallowing a plastic toy of cartoon character Homer Simpson. Dalmatian collie crossbreed Dixie, from Aberdeen, ate a Kinder Egg Surprise chocolate with the toy inside.

It showed up on an X-ray and was removed by PDSA vets, who said Dixie could have died without surgery.



Owner Victoria Keir said: "Dixie loves chocolate so must have seen the Kinder egg and gulped it down. We would have never known had it not been for Homer." She explained: "I didn't suspect anything at first until Dixie stopped eating and drinking.

"Normally she's full of energy but suddenly she just seemed to become very listless and depressed." She added: "I can see the funny side now but at the time it was extremely traumatic and I'm very grateful to the PDSA for saving her life."



PDSA veterinary surgeon Alison Hamel said: "Dixie was very ill when she was brought in. She had lost a lot of weight and was extremely dehydrated. We needed to discover quickly what was wrong to provide the right treatment in time.

"The X-rays confirmed there was a foreign body but it was a big surprise to discover a plastic egg shell with Homer Simpson inside. We see many objects that have been swallowed but this has to be one of the most unusual."