Puppy needed life-saving surgery after swallowing 20-inch arrow

A puppy needed life-saving surgery after swallowing a 20-inch plastic arrow while playing in the garden. Bruno, a four-month-old Cane Corso, ingested the toy whole during a play session with another dog at his home in Openshaw.

When he came in from the garden retching, Bruno's owner Stacey Duff initially feared that he had something stuck in his throat. The 34-year-old took him to Manchester PDSA Pet Hospital, where vets were astonished to discover a huge arrow lodged in his food pipe.

Knowing they had to act fast, they rushed Bruno straight into emergency surgery. “The toy arrow that Bruno swallowed was so long it extended from his throat all the way to his stomach," said vet Caragh Kelleher, who helped to treat him.

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"It needed to be removed quickly as there was a high risk it could pierce through his stomach wall, causing a life-threatening infection. It may also have caused a blockage in his stomach, which would have been fatal if left untreated.”

Vets successfully removed the arrow from the Bruno's stomach. After an overnight stay, the lively pup was able to return home to his relieved family.

Bruno was given medication and antibiotics for Bruno to aid his recovery. He has now returned to his bouncy mischievous self and is growing bigger by the day.

Stacey said: “Bruno is our big baby, he’s a gentle giant really - he’s so soft with everyone. He’s quickly become a massive part of our family and I couldn’t imagine life without him.

“It would’ve been hard without PDSA. We’re so grateful as it was an out-of-hours emergency and we were seen to very quickly.”

Since the accident, Stacey makes sure Bruno only has access to his own dog-safe toys, to prevent any further accidents.

Bruno is just one of hundreds of thousands of pets seen by the PDSA every year. On average, the charity says its veterinary teams see 11 pets every minute.

Ms Kelleher explained: "At PDSA saving lives is what we do – we fix broken limbs, treat chronic conditions, and relieve suffering and pain, all of which keeps people and pets together. But we rely solely on generous public support to run our vital services, so it’s a constant struggle to keep our doors open and our shelves stocked with life-saving supplies.

“We don’t receive government funding, so any amount can help us to save a star like Bruno."