DOG EATS CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

DOG EATS CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

Imagine how strange it would be to discover that a foot of your Christmas tree lights had mysteriously vanished. Well that is exactly what happened to Sharon Fay of Southport. The mystery was quickly solved when she examined the wires and saw they had been chewed by her dog, Charlie. However there was still no sign of the missing lights. That’s because they were inside Charlie’s belly. Fortunately Sharon realised this and rushed him to the PDSA, where the fairy lights were successfully removed.

Sharon said, ‘I hadn’t even noticed that the lights had been chewed at this stage but it quickly became clear what had happened... Back in March he ate one of my scarves and needed an operation to remove it, but I thought it was just a one-off incident as he hadn’t shown any signs that he was going to be a repeat offender. I’ve had dogs all my life and have never known a dog act like this before.’

Senior veterinary surgeon, Sophie Bell said: ‘Over the years I’ve seen plenty of cases of dogs swallowing strange objects – socks, dummies, rubber ducks, but it’s the first time any of us have treated a dog that has actually eaten fairy lights... A foreign body of this nature could easily have caused severe internal injuries so Charlie was very, very lucky. He was also fortunate that the glass didn’t cut his mouth or throat. And he could have been electrocuted if he’d bitten through the wire when the lights were switched on... With the Christmas season upon us, I’d advise owners to keep any edible items out of reach of inquisitive pets to avoid them from becoming ill over the festive season.’

Ms Fay said she would be keeping an ‘extra close eye’ on Charlie, who she appropriately described as the ‘light of her life’. He is expected to make a full recovery.

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