Sadly, there’s nothing new about a dog being injured by a stick. However, a mischievous spaniel puppy has given an old story a 21st Century twist when he required specialist vet treatment after swallowing a USB stick!
Four-month-old Billy gobbled down the byte-sized device, a computer connector for a wireless mouse, and was soon suffering the potentially life-threatening effects.
Billy started to vomit repeatedly but the stick had become dangerously stuck in his stomach and required specialist veterinary care to remove it.
The beloved family pet was referred for expert care at Linnaeus-owned North Downs Specialist Referrals, in Bletchingley, Surrey, where internal medicine specialist Paula Valiente successfully phished out the offending object.
Paula explained: “We were told Billy had swallowed the Bluetooth USB and this was confirmed when we carried out an X-ray examination and an endoscopy examination, in which a thin tube containing a mini camera and micro tools is fed down the oesophagus.
“The problem was that the stick was making him sick but he couldn’t bring it back up, so we decided to use the endoscope to try to retrieve it. If we were unable to retrieve it, he would have needed life-saving surgery to remove the USB stick directly from his stomach.
“It was quite challenging to get a secure connection with the USB but we finally managed to remove it and Billy was quickly online for a complete recovery! We’re delighted he’s doing very well.”
Billy’s relieved owner Vanusa Novaes, from Wimbledon, South London, said: “We were very concerned when we realised what had happened and so relieved that Paula managed to avoid surgery by using the endoscope.
“Paula and everyone at North Downs were so helpful and caring and we’d definitely recommend them to other pet owners.
“It’s so good to have Billy back to his best – and the USB connector is still working well too!”
NDSR offers specialist-led services in anaesthesia and analgesia, cardiology, dentistry, dermatology, diagnostic imaging, internal medicine, neurology, oncology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, soft tissue surgery and spinal surgery. For more information visit their website.
