Warwick vet helped to save spaniel which swallowed stone and sock

Cute Cocker Spaniel pup Victor ended up in hospital after biting off more than he could chew '“ namely a sock and a large stone.
Victor's X-RayVictor's X-Ray
Victor's X-Ray

Victor’s owners Tom and Louise Mill rushed him to Avonvale Veterinary Centres in Heathcote after he had been unwell at home, where he was promptly referred to the practice’s pet hospital in Warwick for an emergency operation.

Victor had brought up a sock but was still lethargic, and x-rays at the 24/7 centre quickly identified a large stone in his intestines as the cause of his malaise.

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Senior veterinary surgeon Katie Wain carried out the surgery to remove the stone during her night shift at the hospital.

Victor and KatieVictor and Katie
Victor and Katie

She said: “Victor’s owners said the first signs that something was wrong came that morning when he vomited up a sock.

“Even then, he continued to be lethargic and lacklustre, so when he still wasn’t right that evening, they took him to our practice in Heathcote.

“Victor was examined by vet John Hutchinson who could feel a foreign body that seemed rigid in his abdomen. He immediately sent Victor across to us in Warwick for emergency x-rays which showed a stone stuck in his intestines.

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“I opened him up to remove it and we kept him in overnight for further pain relief and monitoring by the rest of our night team.”

Katie said Victor’s predicament was a timely reminder for owners of the need to keep an eye on the things their pets might try to eat.

“Victor recovered really well and was sent home the next day but this case shows why we are always advising dog owners about the dangers of their pets swallowing cones, stones, bulbs and all sorts of foreign objects.”

Avonvale Veterinary Centres has branches in Warwick, Stratford, Kenilworth, Southam, Wellesbourne, Heathcote and Cubbington.

For more information, visit www.avonvets.co.uk