A curious pup found himself feeling rough over lockdown – after eating 25 golf balls.
Happily, Newcastle-based Blythman and Partners Veterinary Practice was on hand to help giant schnauzer Alfie and relieve him of his tummy trouble.
The tale – or tail – all began when Alfie’s owner, Neil Taylor, of Westerhope, Newcastle, let him off the lead on a local course, which was free of golfers due to the coronavirus lockdown.
Unbeknown to Neil, Alfie tucked into a tee-time treat of discarded golf balls, along with rubber gloves, a ball of string and various pieces of wood.
His secret was only discovered when he collapsed unconscious at home after vomiting up four of the balls, and Neil contacted the vets for help.
Blythman owner Graham Chambers explained: “It was clear that Alfie had eaten something that disagreed with him, but we were initially unaware of the scale of the problem.
“Our branches are all fully equipped with diagnostic imaging equipment, meaning we could quickly get to the heart – or stomach – of the issue.
“We were amazed to see his stomach was full of golf balls – 15 to be precise – and so surgery was the only option.
“However, when we opened him up for the operation, we had another shock in store – we found another six hiding in his tummy, bringing the total up to 25.”
The operation took place on June 16, and Alfie was taken care of by our expert nursing staff before being allowed home two days later.
Neil said: “’I only have one dog and he’s like my son. It was a huge relief when we were given the all clear by the vets.
“I can’t thank Blythman and Partners enough – thanks to their 24-hour emergency service, we were able to get Alfie seen as soon as he fell ill, which I’m sure played a major part in his recovery.”
Blythman and Partners have practices across Tyne and Wear, including Gosforth, Wallsend and South Shields.
For more information, visit http://www.blythmanandpartners.co.uk/