X-ray reveals rubber duck inside terrier 18 months on

A dog has had a £1,000 operation to remove a rubber duck from its gut - 18 months after the bathroom toy vanished.

The owners of Spike the Patterdale terrier were astonished when they took their sick pet to the vet and discovered what had caused the problem.



Colin Smith, 52, of Thorner, near Leeds, said: "I was absolutely amazed.

"When we saw it after the operation it was the same duck he swallowed 18 months ago. We assumed he'd chewed it up and it had passed through him."



Mr Smith recalled how Spike had taken the toy from the bathroom in the summer of 2008. "He eats absolutely anything," said Mr Smith. "He must have seen the duck and thought 'they're not going to let me have this' so he just swallowed it whole."

Mr Smith said he had kept the duck as a memento. "The only difference is it's gone black after losing its yellow paint," he said.