Dog owners issue warning after Labrador Poppy’s tongue was almost cut in HALF

A ‘traumatised’ couple are warning pet owners about leaving dogs unattended after their beloved Labrador’s tongue was nearly cut in half after it got stuck in a rubber ball toy.

Graphic images show Poppy with huge chunks of each side of her tongue missing – after the tissue turned necrotic due to restricted blood flow earlier this month.

Helen and James Hartley returned home from work earlier this month to discover Poppy had got her tongue stuck in the air hole of a rubber dog ball – and after wrestling it from her mouth, they noticed she was acting strangely.  

They brought her into Foxhall Veterinary Clinic in Ruskington, Lincolnshire, where nurses spotted that the front half of Poppy’s tongue was very swollen and there was a red line showing where the ball had affected the blood flow.

Aside from the marking, her tongue was pink and warm to the touch and Poppy was happy to eat treats so was given medication to manage the swelling and booked in for daily check-ups.

Graphic images show Poppy the Labrador with huge chunks of each side of her tongue missing – after the tissue turned necrotic due to restricted blood flow earlier this month

Over the course of the week the red line gradually changed into bruising, which started to smell foul and form white plaques on top.

This eventually turned necrotic and died, leaving Poppy with two giant slits on either side of her tongue where the ball had been.

As the injury developed and the tongue was left dangling by only a central thread of flesh, the vets had to stitch it back up.

During surgery all the dead tissue was removed and Poppy’s tongue was stitched back together.     

With Poppy now firmly on the road to recovery, the vets are now sharing what happened to highlight the dangers of leaving any pet unattended with toys.

Helen, from Lincoln, wrote: ‘[It was] really traumatic for us all.

‘Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for looking after Poppy.

‘She’s been so well loved by everybody at the surgery and we couldn’t have asked for a more dedicated team.

‘Well done to you all, Poppy sends sloppy kisses.’

With Poppy now firmly on the road to recovery, the vets are now sharing what happened to highlight the dangers of leaving any pet unattended with toys

During surgery all the dead tissue was removed and Poppy’s tongue was stitched back together

A Foxhall Veterinary Clinic spokesperson said: ‘The surgery was successful and our nurses couldn’t believe it when Poppy ate and drank as soon as she woke up.

‘We’re happy to report that Poppy’s tongue has pretty much healed now, she is using her tongue normally to drink and can still give plenty of kisses.

‘The stitches are in place but will eventually dissolve.

‘We’ve all grown very attached to Poppy here at Foxhall and we will miss her daily visits.

‘Poppy’s owners wanted us to share her story to highlight the dangers of leaving your dog unattended with toys, no matter how innocent they seem.’