When Charlie, a much-loved family dog from Leicestershire suddenly became seriously ill, his owners faced every pet parent’s worst fear. What they didn’t know was that a piece of wire lodged inside his body was putting his life at risk.
Thanks to the expert teams here at Dovecote Veterinary Referrals, Charlie is now back home and thriving.
Charlie at home
It all started when Charlie began acting out of character – lethargic, refusing food, and showing signs of abdominal discomfort. His family knew something was wrong and contacted their local vet immediately. After an initial assessment, the vet suspected a stomach problem and performed x-rays, finding a metal foreign body in his stomach. An urgent referral was then made to Dovecote Veterinary Referrals.
A CT image showing the wire lodged in Charlie’s stomach
On arrival, Charlie was admitted for emergency care. The team working on Charlie, led by Justine Barton RCVS Recognised Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Medicine, initially carried out digital gastroscopy (using a camera to look inside the stomach). Strangely, no foreign material could be found. Luckily, advanced imaging (CT scanning) was also available, and this revealed the shocking cause: a piece of wire lodged within the wall of his stomach; something that has never been reported before.
Wire foreign bodies are particularly dangerous because they can pierce and lacerate the abdominal organs, causing severe internal haemorrhage, infection, and even death if not treated.
Charlie needed surgery – and fast. Under the care of Dovecote’s advanced surgeons and anaesthesia team, Charlie underwent an exploratory abdominal procedure to locate and remove the wire. Charlie was then placed in the hands of Dovecote’s experienced team of nurses for monitoring. But miraculously he recovered well from the surgery and was even able to go home the same day.
“Chris was amazing with the whole process, we had a rocky few days before being referred trying to get to the bottom of it but he reassured me and always made sure that Charlie’s health was priority. His kindness is something I will not forget as it was incredibly traumatic for us at that time period. Charlie is recovered now and loving his long walks and runs with his battle scar!” said Charlie’s owner Miss Swaffield.
Dr Chris Morris BVSc CertSAS, RCVS Recognised Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Surgery, who performed the surgery on Charlie, said: “Charlie’s case was an example of how the whole team with differing areas of expertise (medicine, imaging and surgery) can work together to bring a successful outcome for our patients. Seeing Charlie recover and go home happy is why we do what we do.”
Charlie’s story is a reminder to all pet owners: household hazards can pose serious risks. Wires, strings, and other small objects can cause life-threatening injuries if swallowed. If your pet shows signs of vomiting, loss of appetite, or abdominal pain, contact your vet immediately. Early action can make all the difference.
