Dog owners warned after popular treat lands pup in emergency
One mum says she'll make a big change after the scary incident.
A dog owner has issued a warning after her beloved pet had to be rushed to a vet for emergency treatment. Henrietta Barnard had bought her eight-month-old boxer-rottweiler cross a bone to assist with teething, but it proved anything but helpful.
She left the dog, named Nancy, alone with the knuckle joint in the hope it would keep her occupied for the day. But later the same evening, she noticed a large piece of bone lodged in her jaw.
"Nancy chews a lot and at dog training they suggested we get her a knuckle joint. It was huge, so we didn't think for a moment there would be any problem," said Ms Barnard, who lives in Hampshire, England.
"But she managed to break a horseshoe-shaped bit off without us noticing until later that evening when it got locked in her mouth. It was trapped behind her front teeth and then hooked under her jaw.
"She couldn't get it out and it was well and truly wedged. My husband tried to slip it free, but it was stuck solid and she was starting to scrape to get it off and getting in quite a state."
Vets Now nurse, Amelie Brewer confirmed that the dog was anxious when she arrived at the clinic. "When Nancy came in, she was very distressed and panicked and we gave her some pain relief to relax her," she said. "The vet and myself tried to prise the bone off, but it was obviously still causing pain. We gave her further quick-acting medication to sedate her and were able to prise it off after a few minutes."
Ms Barnard now wants to warn others about the possible risks of giving dogs bones. "We've totally banned bones now and bought really tough big chew toys instead, as we wouldn't want to go through anything like that again," the mum-of-three said.
Dogs can suffer blockages caused by splinters or big pieces of bone becoming stuck. There is also a risk to the dog's digestive tract from swallowing bones. Vets are now urging owners to opt for a safer chew toy than natural bone, after seeing a spike in similar incidents.
- JAM PRESS
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