Jack Russell makes full recovery after stone incident
Dogs tend to be mysterious in their ways and Jack Russell Star proved this recently, after swallowing 80 stones.
The seven-year-old dog refused to move for a full day following a wander around her garden. When Tracy McCaul, her owner, presented her with food, she turned her nose up at it. Concerned about the odd behaviour, Tracy set off to Blackpool’s PDSA Pet Hospital to find out what was wrong.
Upon examining Star, staff members at the pet hospital said they could feel something “crunchy” in the stomach. To identify the unusual objects, she then underwent an x-ray. The images from which showed a large pile of gravel sitting inside her tummy.
Professionals at the hospital monitored Star’s condition for a few days. A startled and worried Tracy returned to the PetAid Hospital to keep a close eye on her four-legged friend. The vets decided to carry out emergency surgery to prevent the sharp stones from piercing the intestine while travelling through.
Thanks to the quick actions of staff, Star avoided peritonitis, which can be fatal in most cases. Although the stones were removed successfully, the dog had to be treated for dehydration. She has now, however, made a full recovery.
PDSA senior vet Jennifer Jackson spoke about the seriousness of Star’s condition, saying:
“It really was touch and go whether Star would survive; the quantity of sharp stones passing through her intestines was damaging them.”
To prevent future predicaments, Tracy has made the effort to ensure her garden is free of gravel and has encouraged other pet owners to act similarly.
