Dog gets 20-inch toy arrow removed from stomach

By Lauren Beavis

A puppy had a 20-inch (50cm) toy arrow removed from its stomach - after swallowing it whole.

Bruno needed emergency surgery to remove the plastic dart lodged in his food pipe.

The "astonished" vets say it is 'unknown exactly' how the four-month-old Cane Corso puppy swallowed such a sizeable toy whilst playing with his doggie pal, Hugo.

Bruno's owner Stacey Duff, 34, was left concerned when her pup came inside from the garden retching - so she called Manchester PDSA Pet Hospital who told her to bring him straight down.

She said: “It was so scary."

The team at PDSA, who provide free and low-cost vet care for pets in need, quickly prepared Bruno for anesthetics and x-rays.

They were astonished to discover a 50cm (20”) long plastic arrow from a toy set lodged in his food pipe.

Stacey explained: “That was what shocked us all the most - that he’d managed to swallow the entire thing whole.”

Knowing they had to act fast, the vets and nurses took Bruno straight into emergency surgery.

PDSA Vet Caragh Kelleher, who helped to treat Bruno, said: “The toy arrow that Bruno swallowed was so long it extended from his throat all the way to his stomach.

"It needed to be removed quickly as there was a high risk it could pierce through his stomach wall, causing a life-threatening infection.

"It may also have caused a blockage in his stomach, which would have been fatal if left untreated.”

Caragh, with the assistance of others in the veterinary team, was thankfully able to remove the arrow successfully.

After an overnight stay the lively pup was able to return home to his worried family.

Back home, Bruno’s family were extremely relieved to get Bruno home safely.

“It would’ve been hard without PDSA,” Stacey said, “we’re so grateful as it was an out-of-hours emergency and we were seen to very quickly.”

PDSA provided Stacey with medication and antibiotics for Bruno to help him recover at home.

He is now back to his bouncy mischievous self and is growing bigger by the day.

Stacey said: “Bruno is our big baby, he’s a gentle giant really - he’s so soft with everyone.

"He’s quickly become a massive part of our family and I couldn’t imagine life without him.”

Since the accident, Stacey makes sure Bruno only has access to his own dog-safe toys, to prevent any further mishaps.

Bruno is just one of hundreds of thousands of pets that PDSA sees every year - on average the charity’s veterinary teams see 11 pets every minute.

Preparing for what is expected to be a very busy Christmas season PDSA Vet Caragh Kelleher, who helped to treat Bruno, is asking for support to help save lives like his.

She said: “We don’t receive government funding, so any amount can help us to save a star like Bruno.”