Little dog has major surgery after swallowing lollipop stick during heatwave

During what may be the hottest June since 1976, a dog was admitted to Blue Cross after she was spotted swallowing a lollipop stick in one gulp. The five-year old Shih tzu’s owner contacted the charity’s Grimsby animal hospital where she needed surgery to remove the stick

Vets first tried to make Amy sick but the stick did not appear. She was put on a drip and given an anaesthetic for an endoscopy to be performed. Vets could see but not retrieve the lolly stick so Amy needed surgery for it to be removed.

Tracy Nicholson, Blue Cross vet Nurse at Grimsby said: “We can’t blame Amy for trying to keep cool in this hot weather but there are safer ways to do it than gobbling up the remains of a lolly. When she first arrived she was happy and quite pleased with herself but she would have become very poorly and could even have died. Thankfully her owners saw what she did and we were able to save her.”

Amy

Happily, Amy has since made a full recovery and is safely back home with her family, who are keeping their icy treats well out of her reach.

Amy’s owner Zoe Weakley from Cleethorpes said: “As a nurse myself I knew swallowing the stick whole would not be good for Amy. She is quite a greedy dog and does tend to eat her food in one gulp so I’m not completely surprised she did this. We will be keeping an even closer eye on her from now on.”

Zoe is taking part in the Beacon trail half marathon in the grounds of Beacon Hill Country Park to help raise funds for Blue Cross. To support her visit justgiving.com and search Zoe Weakley.

For advice on keeping dogs cool during the heatwave visit www.bluecross.org.uk/dogheatwave.

To find out more about Blue Cross animal hospital in Grimsby, to make a donation towards the care of sick and injured pets, or see cats needing a new home in the area visit www.bluecross.org.uk.

Notes to Editors

• Images of Amy and the removed lollipop stick are available, please contact the media office.

• The Blue Cross animal hospital in Grimsby has been providing vital veterinary services to the local community for over 50 years. In July 2005 the new hospital opened its doors after re-locating from a nearby older site. 

• Blue Cross veterinary hospitals and clinics across the UK provide treatment and care for the pets of owners who cannot afford private vets’ fees, undertaking thousands of consultations every year. 

• Sick, injured and homeless pets have relied on Blue Cross since 1897. Abandoned or unwanted, ill or injured, pets turn to us for help every year. Our doors are always open to them, and with your support, they always will be.

• Each year, thousands of cats, dogs, small pets and horses turn to our animal hospitals, clinics and rehoming services for treatment and to find them the happy homes they deserve.

• Blue Cross is part of the Veterinary Animal Welfare Coalition; a group of the UK’s leading veterinary organisations and charities delivering veterinary services, which includes the British Veterinary Association (BVA), British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA), Blue Cross, British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA), British Veterinary Zoological Society (BVZS), PDSA, RSPCA and USPCA. The Coalition was formed to meet the recommendations in the Vet Futures and VN Futures project and aims to deliver awareness raising and behaviour change communication campaigns, based around responsible pet ownership and the five welfare needs as outlined in the UK’s Animal Welfare Acts.

• For more information, please visit www.bluecross.org.uk. 

Media contact

Louise Lee, Blue Cross Media Officer 020 7932 4066 / [email protected]

Blue Cross Media Team 0300 777 1950 / [email protected]

— Page last updated 28/01/2021