A German shepherd that ate three feet of tinsel is recovering following major surgery.
Eight-year-old Benji consumed the Christmas tree decoration while his owner, animal care assistant Olivia Mullen, was at work.
She collected her canine from her mum, who was looking after him at the time, and sent him for an X-ray which showed Benji had 80cm of tinsel in his stomach.
A "linear foreign body" can be extremely dangerous to dogs and the German shepherd was given an emergency operation.
“This is the first time he’s ever done anything like this. He doesn’t even go after shoes or toys, so it was a total surprise," said Ms Mullen, 24.
“The tree wasn’t up yet and he had actually gone rooting through a box. I was working and my mum called me to say he had eaten some tinsel."
The care assistant said although she sees poorly animals on a daily basis at work, when it came to her own dog she was "an absolute mess".
She added: "I was so upset and worried, but I knew he was in the best possible hands.”
Following the procedure, Benji is making good progress and his injuries are healing nicely.
Ms Mullen was even able to take him home in time for Christmas.
Vets Now’s Manchester hospital lead emergency vet, David Owen, said: “Shiny tinsel can be very attractive to both dogs and cats but, like anything stringy, it’s extremely dangerous if swallowed.
“In veterinary medicine, we call this a linear foreign body. If the tinsel anchors itself in the stomach, it can’t then pass through the intestines and can slowly cut through the tissue like cheese wire.
“This can cause severe damage to the pet’s intestinal tract.
“If you suspect your dog or cat has swallowed tinsel, or anything similar such as ribbon or thread, don’t wait for signs or symptoms to appear before you act.”
Vets Now claims it will see a 70 per cent rise in cases around Christmas and New Year.
