Vets were left stunned after discovering a sick dog had a pair of socks stuck down his throat. Owner Jessica Dewhurst, from Lancaster, feared the worst when her 13-year-old border collie Jip mysteriously started to choke late at night in their family home.
She immediately took the beloved pet to a local animal surgery, where vets had just minutes to save the poor pooch who was struggling to breathe and almost unresponsive. Vet Lauren Jolley and nurse Leanne Boyd then sedated Jip and took X-rays, expecting to find tumours on his chest because of his senior age.
But to their surprise, the scan revealed a pair of socks were actually blocking Jip's airways - not a tumour after all.
The senior pooch was on the verge of dying when Lauren carefully put forceps down his throat to remove the unwanted items.
Speaking about the horrific incident, Lauren said: "We were very surprised to see the socks.
"He is 13 years old, chewing is not your typical behaviour at that age. If he had got here any later, he would have died."
Jessica, who lives with her partner Steven and daughter Delilah, says naughty Jip has a "terrible habit for chewing things".
"He has chewed the odd sock or shoe before," she explained.
"Normally, it is a single sock and I find half a sock in the front room. On this occasion, there were only the toes left.
"I am guessing he had chewed the end off and then swallowed the rest, and it was too large and blocked his airwaves. I don't bundle my socks anymore!"
Jessica paid tribute to the team at Stanley House Vets, in Colne, for their quick life-saving actions in the middle of the night.
She added: "As we were putting Jip in the car, I thought he was taking his last breath. He had gone floppy. He couldn’t breathe. I said my goodbyes. I was distraught.
"Initially, they thought they were going to have to cut a hole in his throat to get oxygen through.
"Then, shortly afterwards, I got a phone call and they said he was absolutely fine. They had managed to pull a pair of socks out. It was the best outcome.
"They were brilliant with him. He has bounced back to his normal self and is absolutely fine."
Do you have a dog story to share? Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
