News archive - 2010

A dog got more than she bargained for when she gobbled up a yuletide log – and ended up at a Blue Cross hospital.

Piggy Peggy, a 10-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier, had to have a spiky plastic holly decoration surgically removed from her stomach.

When Blue Cross vets took an X-ray of Peggy’s chest to investigate a possible heart problem they spotted a mysterious mass in her stomach and thought it was likely to be a tumour.

Peggy was admitted to our animal hospital in Victoria, London, for emergency surgery to explore the cause of the mass and vets were stunned to discover the holly decoration precariously sitting inside her.

Blue Cross vet Caroline Watt says: “It was lucky that we spotted it as the sharp points could have caused major damage and, if left in her tummy, it could even have led to a potentially fatal infection.”

A survey conducted by The Blue Cross has revealed that 20% of our mischievous four-legged friends have either swallowed or choked on a Christmas decoration.

A further 9% have had a turkey or other bone stuck in their throat.

Caroline adds: “It’s so important to make sure your pets don’t play with or eat Christmas decorations or food meant for humans.

“Make sure they have suitable toys to prevent them playing with things that could be dangerous to them.

“Check that all bones are removed from turkey treats and that the turkey carcass is well out of their reach.”

Luckily Peggy has recovered well from her major surgery and has now gone home.