A seven-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier named Porridge has had a lucky escape after he gobbled up a McDonald’s sauce pot. Owner John Griffin had taken Porridge on a walk when the mischievous pup helped himself to the Sweet n’ Sour dip before John could stop him.
Luckily for Porridge, the team at Vets4Pets Barnsley Hospital was on hand to remove the pot, without having to perform surgery. Vets at the 24-hour hospital first tried to remove the packaging by inducing vomiting, but after a combination of sausages, biscuits and treats, there was no sign of the sauce pot.
The team then made the decision to perform an endoscopy, a minimally invasive procedure which allows a vet to look into a pet’s stomach using a small flexible tube with a camera. Veterinary Surgeon, Dr Caroline Richards and Veterinary Nurse, Sally White, placed Porridge under anaesthesia and were able to insert the endoscope through his mouth, spot the pot, and use specialist tools to carefully remove it, without causing any internal damage.
After the 20-minute procedure, Porridge left the surgery a happy pup, and was able to return to his normal life immediately. Dr Caroline Richards, Veterinary Surgeon at Vets4Pets Barnsley Hospital, said: “It’s incredibly lucky that Porridge’s owner spotted him eating the packaging, otherwise there could have been some serious internal damage if left untreated.
“It’s always a great feeling when we’re able to help a pet quickly and easily and every success makes me so proud to be a part of such a fantastic team.
“Having said that, if it wasn’t for a local litter bug, Porridge could have avoided his trip to see us altogether. We hope his story shows how dangerous litter can be for pets and makes people think twice before dropping their rubbish.”
According to Caroline, this is far from the strangest item the veterinary team has seen a dog eat, adding: “From Christmas baubles to children’s toys, and even underwear, the list is endless, we really have seen it all!
“The best part of my job is that I never know what’s going to walk through the door, and I enjoy each and every day I get to take care of all the wonderful pets in Barnsley – even the most mischievous pups like Porridge!”
