A pet tortoise named Sherman almost died after swallowing a packet of screws. The Horsfield tortoise had to undergo surgery after munching down the stainless steel fixings which he found behind a house plant.
Owner Suzette Jones noticed her beloved pet had lost his appetite and took him to vets who X-rayed him. They were stunned to discover the 17-year-old tortoise had six metal screws lodged in his stomach.
An initial attempt to remove them was made by performing an endoscopy, which involved passing a camera down his throat. But the screws had shifted too far through Sherman’s intestinal tract so they were forced to carry out a risky operation.
