Christmas decor-ATE-ions! German Shepherd Benji is recovering from major surgery after vets remove 3ft of TINSEL from his stomach
- Dog Benji, eight, was found with almost a metre of Christmas tinsel in stomach
- Owner Olivia Mullen, of Manchester, was left shocked by his ‘surprise’ behaviour
- The German Shepherd recovered from surgery and owner has taken him home
Benji, eight, went rooting through a box before the Christmas tree went up
A dog has recovered from surgery after eating almost a metre long strip of tinsel.
German Shepherd Benji, eight, went rooting through a box before the Christmas tree went up.
Owner Olivia Mullen, from Manchester, got a call from her mother to say the dog had eaten some tinsel.
He was taken for X-rays which showed there was 80cm of tinsel inside the dog’s stomach.
A leading vet has since warned that shiny Christmas tinsel can be very attractive to dogs as well as cats.
Ms Mullen, 24, said: ‘This is the first time he’s ever done anything like this. He doesn’t even go after shoes or toys, so it was a total surprise.
‘The tree wasn’t up yet and he had actually gone rooting through a box. I was working and my mum called me to say he had eaten some tinsel.
The German Shepherd was taken for X-rays which showed there was 80cm of tinsel inside the dog’s stomach. The long line of tinsel is pictured above
The animal care assistant said: ‘I see poorly animals on a daily basis at work, but when it came to my own dog, I was an absolute mess … I was so upset and worried, but I knew he was in the best possible hands.’
Benji’s injuries are healing well and Ms Mullen was able to take him home.
David Owen, lead emergency vet at Manchester hospital, said: ‘Shiny tinsel can be very attractive to both dogs and cats but, like anything stringy, it’s extremely dangerous if swallowed.
‘In veterinary medicine, we call this a linear foreign body. If the tinsel anchors itself in the stomach, it can’t then pass through the intestines and can slowly cut through the tissue like cheese wire.
‘This can cause severe damage to the pet’s intestinal tract.
‘If you suspect your dog or cat has swallowed tinsel, or anything similar such as ribbon or thread, don’t wait for signs or symptoms to appear before you act.’
Benji has recovered from surgery after eating almost a metre of the tinsel. He is pictured above with owner Olivia Mullen