Dog back on track after surgery to remove swallowed toy train
- Published
David Jones removed the carriage from Lesley and Cameron Mellor's spaniel, Cyril, after he mistook it for a "chew-chew" toy
A dog which swallowed a toy train carriage is back on track after needing surgery to remove what was definitely not a "chew-chew" toy, vets said.
Nine-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Cyril, from Torpoint in Cornwall, started vomiting after eating the toy last month, worrying his owner.
He was taken to a PDSA hospital, where an X-ray revealed he had got his paws on a Clarabel toy - a character from Thomas the Tank Engine.
It was removed in emergency surgery.
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Vet David Jones, who removed the toy at the pet charity Plymouth hospital, said: "Whenever a dog swallows a foreign object, there is a very real risk of a blockage in the intestines, which could be fatal.
Cyril's operation to remove the toy went well, vets said
"Once we'd X-rayed Cyril, we took him straight into theatre to operate."
He warned owners to keep small items away from dogs, as they often use their mouths to "investigate objects", but can accidentally swallow items risking potentially "disastrous consequences".
Owner Lesley Mellor, 40, said the family were "really worried" about their dog.
She said: "We were all relieved when we received the phone call to say the operation had gone well."