A CARDIFF vet has praised the quick action of a pet owner whose dog wolfed down a toy from a children’s craft kit.
Ziggy, a four-month-old black Labrador, was rushed to Park Vets in Sanatorium Road, Cardiff, by worried owner Sarah Aitken after he ate a bouncy ball that had been made by her children Eliza, six, and Dougie, five.
At Park Vets, which is part of VetPartners, Ziggy was given some medication to make him sick.
He vomited up the ball and was able to go home none-the-worse for his ordeal. However, vet Lauren Bowkett said if the ball had been left inside Ziggy it could have caused a dangerous blockage in his digestive system.
Lauren said: “Ziggy’s owner did the right thing by contacting us when she realised he had eaten the ball and it was a fairly straightforward procedure to retrieve it. If the ball had travelled into his intestines, it was big enough to have caused a blockage, which as well as being very painful for Ziggy would have required surgery to remove it.
“As the ball contained crystals, Mrs Aitken contacted the Animal Poisons Helpline, which is a special emergency helpline for worried pet owners, and luckily there was a low risk of toxicity.
“If anyone suspects their pet has eaten something, the best thing to do is speak to your vet as soon as possible. Signs of a blockage include vomiting, being lethargic and quiet, not eating and not passing faeces.”
Ziggy is now back home in Penarth and his family are being extra vigilant to keep anything tempting out of the puppy’s reach.
Mrs Aitken said: “Eliza and Dougie made the bouncy balls from a craft kit and put them on the floor to let them dry while they ate breakfast. We thought Ziggy was safely behind a baby gate, but he managed to sneak his nose through and pick one of them up. The children saw him and came and told me.
“Park Vets were great when I called them, and they advised me to bring him in straight away. They were really caring and I was so relieved that they could see him quickly. Luckily, the only treatment he needed was to be made to vomit and he was back to his usual self soon after.
“Ziggy is a typical Labrador puppy that’s always looking for something to chew and his favourite things are plastic plant pots and sticks. So, as well as making sure the floor is clear of anything that might tempt him in the house, we also have to check the garden before he can go out.”
Park Vets is one of the oldest veterinary practices in Cardiff and delivers the best possible care to pets in South Wales at its Sanatorium Road, Penarth and Pontypridd branches.
Article by Jo Browne, PR & Communications manager (South), email: [email protected]