Coronavirus: Dog nearly dies after eating facemask

Ralph has now fully recovered following the surgery

A cocker spaniel nearly died after eating a facemask, a vet charity said.

One-year-old Ralph needed emergency surgery at Huyton PDSA in Liverpool to remove the mask, which had blocked his intestines.

Owner Julie Veidman, from Prescot, first began to notice something was wrong when her dog could not keep water down and even refused his favourite treat.

"We never thought he'd actually eat a facemask," said Ms Veidman.

"We think he must've stolen it from my daughter's bag in the night.

"He always had a liking for socks and sometimes knickers too, so we always keep things like that well away from him."

PDSA vet Lizzie Whitton said her team was "shocked" when they made the discovery.

Gas build-up caused by the blockage is shown in the circle. The mask is shown by the arrow