Specialists save Saltash puppy after swallowed spatula spoils snack

Vets have come to the rescue of a puppy after he accidentally swallowed the entire silicon head of a spatula.

Marlo, a three-month-old Labrador-cross from Saltash, Cornwall, gulped down the utensil his owner was using to prepare a peanut butter lick mat.

After being rushed to Albert Cottage Vet Clinic, where the team were unsuccessful in attempting to induce vomiting using apomorphine, Marlo was referred to Bristol Vet Specialists.

An ultrasound revealed his stomach was markedly distended and filled with a large amount of kibble – believed to have been scavenged earlier in the day from a food cupboard – before a lateral abdominal radiograph showed the object was still inside him.

Forceps

The foreign body – measuring 6.5 cm by 3.5 cm – was removed with forceps via endoscopic retrieval under general anaesthesia before it could cause gastrointestinal trauma or obstruction.

Marlo is said to have made a swift recovery and was sent home without medication.

Bristol resident in internal medicine Lorna Hardy, who led the case under the supervision of RCVS and European specialist Emma Roberts, said: “We see a range of foreign body cases, but a whole spatula head is certainly one of the more memorable ones.

“Fortunately, Marlo was referred quickly and we were able to remove the object without complications. He recovered extremely well, and we’re pleased he’s back home and doing brilliantly.”