Hartlepool vet saves dog's life with life-saving surgery months after it ate a kebab skewer

Sarah Crawford, clinical director at Clifton Lodge Vets, carried out complex surgery after scans showed a sharp object stuck inside cockapoo Rolo’s chest just one centimetre beneath his heart.

The 18-month-old family pet is believed to swallowed the skewer after sneakily stealing a kebab at a family barbecue late last summer.

X-rays after earlier bouts of vomiting and diarrhoea didn’t reveal anything unusual and his symptoms cleared up with treatment.

But the alarm was raised when owner Joanne Ogden tried to pick him up several months later causing him to yelp and she spotted a lump on his side.

Subsequent CT and ultrasound scans revealed the sharp skewer in Rolo’s chest.

Sarah had to open his chest cavity in a delicate two-hour operation and carefully removed the wooden stick which was lodged beneath his ribs with one end dangerously close to piercing his heart.

He started breathing again independently as soon as his chest was sewn up and was walking within the hour.

Sarah said: “We believe the stick had somehow been ingested and pierced his stomach at some point and managed to migrate into his chest.

“It was trapped under the ribs. If it had worked its way into the heart Rolo would have died quite quickly."

A relieved Joanne said: “He has made an incredible recovery. He is back to his normal self apart from having a scar down his chest.

"I can’t thank them enough. The care has been amazing.”