Vet issues brush warning after Hendrix experience

A vet in Leicestershire has warned pet owners to be vigilant around wire brushes after she had to surgically remove a bristle from a dog’s abdomen.

Two-year-old Tibetan terrier Hendrix was presented to Ash Tree Vets in Kibworth after he started vomiting.

After his condition failed to improve with anti-sickness medication, the dog was given an x-ray and ultrasound to determine the issue, with the scans revealing a thin white line in his stomach wall suggesting a foreign material requiring surgical removal.

Vet Nicky Mansell said: “Everyone was extremely surprised when I pulled out the piece of wire.

“Although it was very small, I found it easily, as it had perforated Hendrix’s stomach wall and caused peritonitis, which is inflammation of the lining of the abdomen.

“This can be life-threatening and if the wire hadn’t been removed, it would have become very painful and made Hendrix very ill.”

Successful surgery

Hendrix’s surgery was a success, and he was able to return home the same day.

Mrs Mansell said the dog was “very lucky,” adding: “Hendrix isn’t a scavenger and he doesn’t eat unusual things, so it seems he accidentally licked the wire bristle from the floor or a plant.

“It’s a warning to be extra vigilant if you use brushes like these, and to keep them away from pets.”

The terrier’s owner, Verity Glenister, recalled using a weeding brush on her patio shortly before Hendrix fell ill.

Her partner Matt subsequently went over the area with a magnet and picked up many other bristles that had been shed by the brush.

She joined Mrs Mansell in urging pet owners to take care using such brushes and to keep them away from pets.

“I would hate this to happen to anyone else,” she said.