Quick Thinking Heroics of Peterborough Vet Saves Dog’s Life After Marble Mishap

13 December 2019

A dog who accidentally swallowed a child’s marble was saved by the quick-thinking heroics and clinical expertise of Medivet Peterborough Bretton vet Pedro Subtil.

Fudge, a three-year old female dog, was playing in the family home with Maria Napper’s ten-year-old son Archie when she accidentally ate a marble. To the horror of the family, Fudge started to choke right in front of them. Realising the danger, Maria rushed the dog to the Medivet Peterborough Bretton practice on Rightwell East, where she was immediately admitted for emergency treatment. Gasping for air, Fudge started to turn blue. Lead Veterinary Surgeon Pedro swiftly intervened by creating an opening in the neck in order to place a tube into the dog’s windpipe to restore her ability to breathe.

Pedro and the team were utterly brilliant, and I just can’t put into words how grateful our family is for the whole team’s heroics.

The marble proved too large to extract, so Pedro was forced to operate - extracting the object through her windpipe. The windpipe was repaired and the temporary tracheostomy tube was removed.

To the joy of her owners, Fudge woke up from her surgery without any further complications. “It is moments like this that reminds us all why we want to work in the profession,” said Pedro. “After such an ordeal, I’m so pleased that Fudge woke up after her surgery blissfully unaware of all the worry she had caused. With every second counting, Maria did the right thing by rushing her to the practice.”

Maria added: “Pedro and the team were utterly brilliant, and I just can’t put into words how grateful our family is for the whole team’s heroics. Within minutes of us arriving, Pedro was preparing to operate. I must admit, we all thought we were going to lose her on more than one occasion during the evening, but for the quick-thinking efforts of Pedro, we probably would have done.”

As we approach the festive season, Pedro advises pet owners to be vigilant about the dangers of small objects, such as parts found in children’s toys. “In Fudge’s case we know that this was a total accident and the family were quick to spot and act on the issue. But for less fortunate pets, owners can be unaware for weeks that their pet has swallowed a toy, which presents significant challenges. While it’s not practical for owners to provide 24/7 supervision, at this time of the year we would urge a little extra vigilance,” he said.