Dog swallowed tennis ball cover

PDSA vets have saved the life of a dog that swallowed a TENNIS BALL.

PDSA vets have saved the life of a dog that swallowed a TENNIS BALL.

Two-year-old Husky-cross Pax from Brighton came down with a sudden mystery illness recently; he had stopped eating, was being sick and became very lethargic, so worried owner Anna Dziedzic (29) turned to vet charity, PDSA, for help.

Vets at Brighton PDSA PetAid hospital admitted the dog to carry out tests but were stunned when an x-ray clearly revealed the problem: a whole ball in his abdomen.

Brighton PDSA senior vet, Becca Thring, said: “This was a life-or-death situation - without surgery, it is highly likely that Pax would have died. As with all major operations, there are risks, but it was the only option.”

Emergency surgery was carried out and the tennis ball was removed intact. Pax’s operation went extremely well and he was allowed home the same day. He quickly bounced back to health, although he is now sporting a ten centimetre scar.

Owner, Anna, recalls what happened: “I was in the park with Pax and my other dog Pixie, a Jack Russell, and the dogs were happily playing with their favourite toys, tennis balls, like usual. Pax loves throwing a ball into the air and then catching it; it’s something he’s always done since he was a puppy.

“When it was time to leave, Pax didn’t have his ball – I just assumed he’d lost it in the undergrowth and thought no more about it. He became really poorly over the next week and I was so worried about him. I was stunned when PDSA called to reveal how dangerously ill he was and what the problem was. I can’t believe a bit of innocent fun had turned into a life-threatening situation. I’ll be forever grateful to PDSA for saving his life.”

Tennis balls are now strictly out of bounds for her dogs, and Anna has been warning other dog owners of the hazards.