Vets stunned to find DS game lodged in dog’s intestine
A rescue dog has been saved by PDSA vets in Glasgow after swallowing a Nintendo DS game.
Staffordshire bull terrier Rocco was admitted to the Shamrock Street pet hospital after his worried owners noticed he was vomiting and refusing to eat. He was rushed into emergency surgery after an x-ray revealed the rectangular-shaped object in his gut.
Vets say they were stunned to find the game lodged in his small intestine. Left untreated, it could have caused a fatal blockage.
Owner Sean Johnston, 27, said: “He wasn’t acting himself at all and we were worried he’d eaten a corn on the cob, but we were so shocked when the vet said it was from a video game!
“We don’t own a Nintendo or anything like that so we’re baffled as to where he got it from. He’s a rescue dog and we’ve only had him for about six months so the only thing we can think is that it was from his previous owners – who knows how long it’s been in there!”
PDSA senior vet Susan Hermit added: “We see dogs that eat strange things all the time but none of us had ever seen anything like this! Objects can sometimes sit in the stomach for a while, but they cause problems when they try and push through the guts, which are much narrower.
“It was a good job Sean brought Rocco in when he did, as an object of this size trying to pass through the guts could have caused a deadly blockage or pierced his internal organs.”
Image © PDSA
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
