Dog swallowing Incredible Hulk toy led to vets finding dangerous tumor

By Ed Chatterton via SWNS

A greedy dog that needed surgery after swallowing an INCREDIBLE HULK toy was 'saved' by the superhero as it led to the discovery of a tumor.

Sprocker Spaniel Bertie was rushed to the vet after he wolfed down a small model of the Marvel action hero and began struggling to breathe.

Owner James Rawlings was shocked when it was discovered Bertie had not only gobbled his son's toy - but also had a splenic mass that had ruptured.

The 10-year-old pooch underwent emergency specialist-led surgery to remove his spleen before also having the green Hulk toy blockage taken out as well.

Fortunately, the tumor was found to be benign and Bertie is now back recovering at his home in Stratton St Margaret, Swindon, Wilts.

Vets joked Bertie's ordeal was a story 'worthy of a comic book caper' after the superhero inadvertently 'came to the rescue' of the beloved family pet

Relieved James said: “We had no idea Bertie had swallowed anything, so were alarmed when he was suddenly struggling to breathe and being sick.

“When the vets said the scans had shown a mass on his spleen and a foreign body in his intestines we feared it could be a terminal situation, that it was going to be cancer.

“We also knew the risk of anesthesia in a dog of his age, so we were very concerned about him undergoing surgery.

“It was a huge relief when we learned the mass on his spleen was benign and the blockage in his intestines was just a toy.

“It was a real emotional roller coaster but Bertie is now fully recovered."

Bertie was rushed to Linnaeus-owned Eastcott Veterinary Referrals in Swindon and operated on by the head of surgery there Tim Charlesworth.

Tim, an RCVS specialist in small animal soft tissue surgery, said Bertie eating the model had led to discovering the splenic mass at an early enough stage.

He said: “This was an unusual case as Bertie had two unconnected conditions at the same time, with a full abdominal ultrasound scan showing both a splenic mass surrounded by free fluid and also a foreign body causing intestinal obstruction.

“Preoperative imaging showed no evidence of tumor spread.

"Bertie was then taken to surgery where the splenic mass was confirmed as having ruptured and so the spleen was removed.

“In addition, the obstructing foreign body, which we found to be a small plastic Hulk toy, was removed from the intestines.

“His owners had no idea where the Hulk toy had come from but admitted Bertie was a bit of a scavenger, and in this case, his scavenging was actually a good thing!

“Dogs usually present to us in various stages of collapse when they have splenic masses causing internal bleeding like Bertie.

“So, eating the Hulk toy and then showing signs of intestinal obstruction actually helped draw our attention to the fact that he had a bleeding splenic mass and allowed us to remove it at a very early stage.

“Bertie recovered very well and very smoothly and was discharged the day after his surgery.

“He is fully healed now and doing well. The added bonus is the splenic mass was benign, which is excellent news.”