A north-east animal lover has revealed how her dog was only hours from death when it swallowed a sewing needle.
Macduff woman Veronica Smart spent hundreds of pounds on surgery after her shitsu-pug puppy Broxi suffered a perforated bowel.
She has warned other owners to beware of what their pets are getting up to while their backs are turned.
“He was a lucky doggy, the vet said – if I hadn’t taken him in he wouldn’t have made it through the day.”
Mrs Smart said she was getting ready in her bedroom when the dog leapt into a cupboard and started rummaging around.
“He pinches everything,” she said.
“My sewing needle was in the little cupboard in the bedroom and he just pushed past me and grabbed the needle and thread. I could see the thread hanging out his mouth.”
Worried for her pet’s health, Mrs Smart called the vet who reassured her it was unlikely that such a small dog could devour a needle.
But within days the usually boisterous Broxi stopped moving around the house altogether.
Mrs Smart said: “We took him over to the vet – who still wasn’t convinced – but she X-rayed him and came back with one needle which had perforated his bowel.”
Broxi, who was one in June, underwent successful surgery and, following a course of antibiotics, has made a full recovery.
Mrs Smart spared no expense on her four-legged friend, spending £631 on the veterinary bill.
And with a word of warning to fellow dog owners, she added: “Sadly he wasn’t insured – but I can assure you he is now.”
Mrs Smart is a life-long Rangers FC fan and named her pet after Ibrox mascot Broxi Bear.
She spoke out after animal charity PDSA told the story of a Rottweiler – also called Broxi – who was rushed to the vet.
The charity’s surgery in Glasgow’s Shamrock Street carried out X-rays on the 18-month-old dog, and found a sewing needle lodged close to her spine.
Fortunately in the case of this Broxi, they were able to remove it without surgery, pulling on a piece of thread still attached.