Wishbone op saves old dog

A Shropshire dog "wished" he had never tried to eat a pheasant carcass after he was forced to undergo life-saving treatment for getting the wishbone stuck in his throat.

Bod the elderly labrador was rushed into the emergency clinic at Haygate Veterinary Centre, in Wellington, after his owners realised he was struggling to breathe. Staff stabilised him until surgeons treated him yesterday.

Bod underwent life-saving treatment after X-rays revealed it was a wishbone which was stopping his breathing.

But top surgeons at the vets prevented the pensioner pooch having to undergo serious surgery by removing the wishbone with a flexible endoscope.

He was recovering from general anaesthetic yesterday afternoon and was returned home safe and well to his owners last night.

Rory Paton, senior surgeon at the veterinary centre, said it was a very serious situation, especially as Bod was 10 years old.

"He had been chewing on a pheasant carcass according to the owner.

"X-rays showed something was obviously stuck in his oesophagus and it turned out to be the wishbone.

"We went in to have a look and it was wedged against a major artery on one point so the dog couldn't swallow," he said.

Mr Paton said he used forceps to dislodge the wishbone, while viewing the dog's throat through the camera.

He said: "It was quite a challenge but very rewarding. We could see the wishbone on the x-ray. It was wedged from side to side - there was no way it was going to move without treatment."

But Mr Paton said it was a life-threatening situation for the dog.

"It could have ruptured the oesophageal wall and penetrated the artery.

"It would have migrated through and caused an internal bleed which would have had catastrophic consequences.

"The part which was most pleasing was that we were able to avoid invasive surgery on such an elderly dog," he added.

Vet Rory Paton, from Haygate Vets, with Bod.

The X-ray shows the small bone (circled) stuck in Bod's throat.

The bone that Bod swallowed.