THE grateful owners of a greedy Border Terrier that almost choked to death after getting a treat stuck in his throat have thanked the veterinary team that saved his life.
Max could barely breathe and was on the brink of death when owner James Roe rushed him to Westway Vets in Consett after he stole a treat that was meant for a much larger dog, and it became wedged at the back of this throat.
That was when vet Emma Stansbie and veterinary nurses Sophie Wayper and Emily Napper swung into action in what was a life-or-death situation to quickly remove the large chunk of treat blocking the much-loved pet’s airways.
His tongue and gums were starting to go grey as they desperately fought to save his life, so he was quickly given oxygen to help him breathe and put under anaesthetic while they used forceps to remove the treat.
Emma said: “I’ve been a vet for a long time, and this is one of the most urgent emergencies I’ve seen. Max was barely alive and we knew what we had to do to save him before he choked to death.
“His tongue was so discoloured as he was starved of oxygen, so we knew we had seconds to save him. The problem was getting hold of the treat with the forceps because bits of the treat started breaking up. The next step would have been a tracheotomy, but I wanted to avoid such a high-risk procedure if possible.
“Our nursing team of Sophie Wayper and Emily Napper were amazing as they had to keep running back and forward to grab different forceps for me until we found a way of getting hold of the treat.
“We managed to get it out at the final attempt, but even though we removed the obstruction, the worry then was that tissues at the back of his throat could swell because they had been damaged. We put a tube in to maintain the airways and gave him steroids to counteract the swelling, as well as antibiotics and paracetamol for pain relief.”
Because his brain had been starved of oxygen, there were concerns about his recovery, but remarkably the three-year-old was back to normal and able to return to the Consett home of owners James Roe and his partner Louise Pearson within two hours of his arrival at the practice in Medomsley Road.
James, who works in the family’s transport business, and Louise, a nurse at Cramlington Hospital, have praised the care, skills and expertise of the Westway Vets team for saving their pet’s life.
He said: “From the receptionist who helped us when I burst into the practice with Max lying lifeless in my arms to the veterinary team that saved him, we can’t thank them enough. He is a very special dog who is like family to me and Louise.
“My uncle was working at our transport company office and went to give a treat to his Labrador when Max snatched it from his hand, but it was too big and it went down sideways. It all happened so fast, and I tried getting it out of his mouth myself but couldn’t as he kept biting as a reflex action.
“I thought he was dead on arrival at the practice, and I don’t know how he is still alive, but are very grateful to have him home and back to his playful self.”
Westway Vets, which is part of UK veterinary group VetPartners, is now warning owners to be extremely cautious about giving their pets the right treat for their size and to be vigilant in ensuring dogs cannot easily access treats.