The Amazing Adventures of Archibald Esq.

Toy Warning!

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Little feet assures me that it’s well known that all dog toys are to be played with under supervision. But who ever follows this rule? Little feet doesn’t…. (!)

This story might prompt two-leggeds to rethink things, and to put away the doggie toy box when they leave their four-legged unattended.

Biggles, an apparently orally-fixated 15 month old Great Dane, had to undergo 3 1/2 hours of lifesaving surgery - to extract a number of soft toys (and a pencil case!) that he swallowed whole when playing!

The toys were revealed by X-ray. Biggles had been taken to the vet’s after his heath declined dramatically. The 54 kg hound ate a reindeer toy, a pencil case, a toy seal, and a few other bits & bobs. Awoof!

“He’s been a muncher since he was 10 weeks old,” said his two-legged companion Bev, who keeps company with Biggles (along with her four children). “We’ve taken him for training and even put lemon and chilli on things so he wouldn’t eat them but he still did.”

“But we never expected him to eat all these toys and a pencil case. The first time we knew something was wrong was a day before he had his surgery. He went downhill really quickly with the toxins in his body. It was really bad.”

After the revealing X-rays his emergency operation was arranged - with his life hanging in the balance. Awooo!

“When he was examined it became clear that there was something hard in his stomach area,” said veterinary surgeon Emma Cartwright.

“At this stage we knew that he would need surgery to explore his stomach and intestines. But he had to be carefully stabilised to ensure he would survive the anaesthetic. This was a major operation, especially in a dog his size but his owners had the foresight to get him insured. This meant we were able to get permission for surgery, without them having to worry about the bill.” — Vet Surgeon Emma Cartwright

Once Biggles was asleep his stomach began to swell up with gas and fluid – a common condition in Great Danes called bloat. Nurses passed a tube through his mouth into his stomach and litres of fluid and air rushed out and the whole segment of intestine had to be cut out for any chance for Biggles to survive.

“As we prepared to do this, imagine our surprise when we found another lump higher up,” added Emma.

“Fortunately this material was more mobile so we could remove all of it in one go.

“After stitching the two ends of intestine together we were just thinking about the end of the operation, when careful feeling of his stomach revealed another big lump, a third foreign body. Once this had been removed by cutting into the stomach, we closed him up.”

The veterinary surgeon said intestinal surgery can be very hazardous as any spillage of gut contents into the abdomen can be fatal.

Following his operation at the end of last year, Biggles stayed in for three days of medication, monitoring, and tender loving care, until staff were happy he was on the mend.

Two months on and he is now in good spirits and has recovered extremely well. Bev says he’s calming down every day.

SuperWoof to Biggles! And all you two-leggeds: you’ve been warned!

Awoof! Archie

Posted 11 Mar 09